This article is cited in 30 papers

Laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics

Selective photoionisation of lutetium isotopes

A. B. D'yachkov, S. K. Kovalevich, A. V. Labozin, V. P. Labozin, S. M. Mironov, V. Ya. Panchenko, V. A. Firsov, G. O. Tsvetkov, G. G. Shatalova

Russian Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Moscow

Abstract: A three-stage laser photoionisation scheme intended for enriching the ¹⁷⁶Lu isotope from natural lutetium was considered. An investigation was made of the hyperfine structure of the second excited state 5d 6s 7s → ⁴D_3/2 with an energy of 37 194 cm^-1 and the autoionisation state with an energy of 53 375 cm^-1 of the ¹⁷⁶Lu and ¹⁷⁵Lu isotopes. The total electron momentum of the autoionisation level and the constant A of hyperfine magnetic interaction were determined. Due to a small value of the isotopic shift between ¹⁷⁶Lu and ¹⁷⁵Lu, appreciable selectivity of their separation may be achieved with individual hyperfine structure components. The first tentative enrichment of the 176Lu isotope was performed to a concentration of 60 % — 70 %.

Keywords: lutetium, ¹⁷⁷Lu isotope, laser-induced photoionisation, hyperfine structure, autoionisation, AVLIS technology.

PACS: 28.60.+s, 32.10.Bi, 32.80.Fb, 42.62.-b

Received: 28.06.2012

 English version: Quantum Electronics, 2012, 42:10, 953–956

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