1
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Gong Q, Tao S, Zhao C, Hang Y, Zhu S, Ma L. Structures and Properties of High-Concentration Doped Th:CaF 2 Single Crystals for Solid-State Nuclear Clock Materials. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:3807-3814. [PMID: 38345921 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c04009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Thorium-doped vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) transparent crystals is a promising candidate for establishing a solid-state nuclear clock. Here, we report the research results on high-concentration doping of 232Th:CaF2 single crystals. The structures, defects, and VUV transmittance performances of highly doped Th:CaF2 crystals are investigated by theoretical and experimental methods. The defect configurations formed by Th and the charge compensation mechanism (Ca vacancy or interstitial F atoms) located at its first nearest neighbor position are mainly considered and studied. The preferred defect configuration is identified according to the doping concentration dependence of structural changes caused by the defects and the formation energies of the defects at different Ca or F chemical potentials. The cultivated Th:CaF2 crystals maintain considerable high VUV transmittance levels while accommodating high doping concentrations, showcasing an exceptional comprehensive performance. The transmittances of 1-mm-thick samples with doping concentrations of 1.91 × 1020 and 2.76 × 1020 cm-3 can reach ∼62% and 53% at 150 nm, respectively. The VUV transmittance exhibits a weak negative doping concentration dependence. The system factors that may cause distortion and additional deterioration of the VUV transmittance are discussed. Balancing and controlling the impacts of various factors will be of great significance for fully exploiting the advantages of Th:CaF2 and other Th-doped crystals for a solid-state nuclear optical clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaorui Gong
- Research Center of Laser Crystal, Key Laboratory of High-Power Laser Materials, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Siliang Tao
- Research Center of Laser Crystal, Key Laboratory of High-Power Laser Materials, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Chengchun Zhao
- Research Center of Laser Crystal, Key Laboratory of High-Power Laser Materials, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Yin Hang
- Research Center of Laser Crystal, Key Laboratory of High-Power Laser Materials, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Shining Zhu
- National Laboratory of Solid-State Microstructures, School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China
| | - Longsheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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2
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Shvyd'ko Y, Röhlsberger R, Kocharovskaya O, Evers J, Geloni GA, Liu P, Shu D, Miceli A, Stone B, Hippler W, Marx-Glowna B, Uschmann I, Loetzsch R, Leupold O, Wille HC, Sergeev I, Gerharz M, Zhang X, Grech C, Guetg M, Kocharyan V, Kujala N, Liu S, Qin W, Zozulya A, Hallmann J, Boesenberg U, Jo W, Möller J, Rodriguez-Fernandez A, Youssef M, Madsen A, Kolodziej T. Resonant X-ray excitation of the nuclear clock isomer 45Sc. Nature 2023; 622:471-475. [PMID: 37758953 PMCID: PMC10584683 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06491-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Resonant oscillators with stable frequencies and large quality factors help us to keep track of time with high precision. Examples range from quartz crystal oscillators in wristwatches to atomic oscillators in atomic clocks, which are, at present, our most precise time measurement devices1. The search for more stable and convenient reference oscillators is continuing2-6. Nuclear oscillators are better than atomic oscillators because of their naturally higher quality factors and higher resilience against external perturbations7-9. One of the most promising cases is an ultra-narrow nuclear resonance transition in 45Sc between the ground state and the 12.4-keV isomeric state with a long lifetime of 0.47 s (ref. 10). The scientific potential of 45Sc was realized long ago, but applications require 45Sc resonant excitation, which in turn requires accelerator-driven, high-brightness X-ray sources11 that have become available only recently. Here we report on resonant X-ray excitation of the 45Sc isomeric state by irradiation of Sc-metal foil with 12.4-keV photon pulses from a state-of-the-art X-ray free-electron laser and subsequent detection of nuclear decay products. Simultaneously, the transition energy was determined as [Formula: see text] with an uncertainty that is two orders of magnitude smaller than the previously known values. These advancements enable the application of this isomer in extreme metrology, nuclear clock technology, ultra-high-precision spectroscopy and similar applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ralf Röhlsberger
- Helmholtz Institute Jena, Jena, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Jörg Evers
- Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Peifan Liu
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA
| | - Deming Shu
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Willi Hippler
- Helmholtz Institute Jena, Jena, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Berit Marx-Glowna
- Helmholtz Institute Jena, Jena, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | | | - Olaf Leupold
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Ilya Sergeev
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Gerharz
- Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xiwen Zhang
- Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Marc Guetg
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Naresh Kujala
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Shan Liu
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Weilun Qin
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexey Zozulya
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Jörg Hallmann
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Wonhyuk Jo
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Johannes Möller
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Mohamed Youssef
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Anders Madsen
- European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility, Schenefeld, Germany
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3
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Kraemer S, Moens J, Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis M, Bara S, Beeks K, Chhetri P, Chrysalidis K, Claessens A, Cocolios TE, Correia JGM, Witte HD, Ferrer R, Geldhof S, Heinke R, Hosseini N, Huyse M, Köster U, Kudryavtsev Y, Laatiaoui M, Lica R, Magchiels G, Manea V, Merckling C, Pereira LMC, Raeder S, Schumm T, Sels S, Thirolf PG, Tunhuma SM, Van Den Bergh P, Van Duppen P, Vantomme A, Verlinde M, Villarreal R, Wahl U. Observation of the radiative decay of the 229Th nuclear clock isomer. Nature 2023; 617:706-710. [PMID: 37225880 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05894-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The radionuclide thorium-229 features an isomer with an exceptionally low excitation energy that enables direct laser manipulation of nuclear states. It constitutes one of the leading candidates for use in next-generation optical clocks1-3. This nuclear clock will be a unique tool for precise tests of fundamental physics4-9. Whereas indirect experimental evidence for the existence of such an extraordinary nuclear state is substantially older10, the proof of existence has been delivered only recently by observing the isomer's electron conversion decay11. The isomer's excitation energy, nuclear spin and electromagnetic moments, the electron conversion lifetime and a refined energy of the isomer have been measured12-16. In spite of recent progress, the isomer's radiative decay, a key ingredient for the development of a nuclear clock, remained unobserved. Here, we report the detection of the radiative decay of this low-energy isomer in thorium-229 (229mTh). By performing vacuum-ultraviolet spectroscopy of 229mTh incorporated into large-bandgap CaF2 and MgF2 crystals at the ISOLDE facility at CERN, photons of 8.338(24) eV are measured, in agreement with recent measurements14-16 and the uncertainty is decreased by a factor of seven. The half-life of 229mTh embedded in MgF2 is determined to be 670(102) s. The observation of the radiative decay in a large-bandgap crystal has important consequences for the design of a future nuclear clock and the improved uncertainty of the energy eases the search for direct laser excitation of the atomic nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandro Kraemer
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium.
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Garching, Germany.
| | - Janni Moens
- KU Leuven, Quantum Solid State Physics, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Silvia Bara
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kjeld Beeks
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Arno Claessens
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - João G M Correia
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Bobadela, Portugal
| | - Hilde De Witte
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rafael Ferrer
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sarina Geldhof
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Niyusha Hosseini
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mark Huyse
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Yuri Kudryavtsev
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mustapha Laatiaoui
- Department Chemie, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institut Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Scherionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Razvan Lica
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
- Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Vladimir Manea
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Sebastian Raeder
- Helmholtz-Institut Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Scherionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Thorsten Schumm
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Sels
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Piet Van Duppen
- KU Leuven, Instituut voor Kern- en Stralingsfysica, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Ulrich Wahl
- Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares, Departamento de Engenharia e Ciências Nucleares, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Bobadela, Portugal
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4
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Qi J, Zhang H, Wang X. Isomeric Excitation of ^{229}Th in Laser-Heated Clusters. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:112501. [PMID: 37001082 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.112501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We consider theoretically isomeric excitation of ^{229}Th in a laser-heated cluster. A ^{229}Th cluster is first radiated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse, causing ionization of the constituting atoms. The cluster will then survive for a time on the order of 1 ps, during which the electrons collide with the nuclei repeatedly and excite them to the isomeric state. Two mechanisms are responsible for the isomeric excitation: nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC) and nuclear excitation by inelastic electron scattering (NEIES). By changing the laser intensity, one can tune between NEEC and NEIES continuously. This laser-heated-cluster scheme not only provides a highly efficient means for isomeric excitation, but also provides an approach for the confirmation of the NEEC process, which has been predicted for over forty years without conclusive experimental verifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Qi
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hanxu Zhang
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
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5
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Beeks K, Sikorsky T, Rosecker V, Pressler M, Schaden F, Werban D, Hosseini N, Rudischer L, Schneider F, Berwian P, Friedrich J, Hainz D, Welch J, Sterba JH, Kazakov G, Schumm T. Growth and characterization of thorium-doped calcium fluoride single crystals. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3897. [PMID: 36890210 PMCID: PMC9995343 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31045-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We have grown [Formula: see text]Th:CaF[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]Th:CaF[Formula: see text] single crystals for investigations on the VUV laser-accessible first nuclear excited state of [Formula: see text]Th, with the aim of building a solid-state nuclear clock. To reach high doping concentrations despite the extreme scarcity (and radioactivity) of [Formula: see text]Th, we have scaled down the crystal volume by a factor 100 compared to established commercial or scientific growth processes. We use the vertical gradient freeze method on 3.2 mm diameter seed single crystals with a 2 mm drilled pocket, filled with a co-precipitated CaF[Formula: see text]:ThF[Formula: see text]:PbF[Formula: see text] powder in order to grow single crystals. Concentrations of [Formula: see text] cm[Formula: see text] have been realized with [Formula: see text]Th with good (> 10%) VUV transmission. However, the intrinsic radioactivity of [Formula: see text]Th drives radio-induced dissociation during growth and radiation damage after solidification. Both lead to a degradation of VUV transmission, currently limiting the [Formula: see text]Th concentration to [Formula: see text] cm[Formula: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kjeld Beeks
- Laboratory for Ultrafast Microscopy and Electron Scattering (LUMES), Institute of Physics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 6, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Tomas Sikorsky
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Rosecker
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Pressler
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Schaden
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - David Werban
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Niyusha Hosseini
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Rudischer
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Schneider
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Berwian
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Systeme und Bauelementetechnologie IISB, Schottkystraße 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Friedrich
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Systeme und Bauelementetechnologie IISB, Schottkystraße 10, 91058, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dieter Hainz
- TRIGA Center Atominstitut, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Welch
- CLIP, TRIGA Center Atominstitut TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes H Sterba
- CLIP, TRIGA Center Atominstitut TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georgy Kazakov
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thorsten Schumm
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020, Vienna, Austria
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6
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Fu Y, Wang X, Ju Y, Zheng Z, Jian J, Li ZJ, Jin C, Wang JQ, Lin J. A robust thorium-organic framework as a bifunctional platform for iodine adsorption and Cr(VI) sensitization. Dalton Trans 2023; 52:1177-1181. [PMID: 36648495 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt03623a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Simple synthetic modulation based on thorium nitrate and tris((4-carboxyl)phenylduryl)amine (H3TCBPA) gives rise to a new thorium-based metal-organic framework, Th-TCBPA, which features excellent hydrolytic and thermal stabilities. Incorporating electron-rich TCBPA3- linkers not only endows Th-TCBPA with high adsorption capacity toward radioiodine vapor, but also makes it a luminescence sensor for the highly sensitive and selective detection of Cr(VI) anions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Fu
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xue Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China.
| | - Yu Ju
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China.
| | - Zhaofa Zheng
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jie Jian
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China.
| | - Zi-Jian Li
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Chan Jin
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jian-Qiang Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jian Lin
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China.
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7
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Li ZJ, Guo X, Qiu J, Lu H, Wang JQ, Lin J. Recent advances in the applications of thorium-based metal-organic frameworks and molecular clusters. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:7376-7389. [PMID: 35438104 DOI: 10.1039/d2dt00265e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This perspective highlights the recent advances in the structural and practical aspects of thorium-based metal-organic frameworks (Th-MOFs) and molecular clusters. Thorium, as an underexplored actinide, features surprisingly rich coordination geometries and accessibility of the 5f orbital. These features lead to a myriad of topologies and electronic structures, many of which are undocumented for other tetravalent metal-containing MOFs or clusters. Moreover, Th-MOFs inherit the modularity, structural tunability, porosity, and versatile functionality of the state-of-the-art MOFs. Recognizing the radioactive nature of these thorium-bearing materials that may limit their practical uses, Th-MOFs and Th-clusters still have great potential for various applications, including radionuclide sequestration, hydrocarbon storage/separation, radiation detection, photoswitch, CO2 conversion, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis. The objective of this updated perspective is to propose pathways for the renaissance of interest in thorium-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jian Li
- Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Guo
- Department of Chemistry and Alexandra Navrotsky Institute for Experimental Thermodynamics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | - Jie Qiu
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China.
| | - Huangjie Lu
- Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China
| | - Jian-Qiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2019 Jia Luo Road, Shanghai 201800, P. R. China
| | - Jian Lin
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China.
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8
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Walker PM. Isomers as a bridge between nuclear and atomic physics. Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2022.110095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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9
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Sensitivity of Neutron-Rich Nuclear Isomer Behavior to Uncertainties in Direct Transitions. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13101831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear isomers are populated in the rapid neutron capture process (r process) of nucleosynthesis. The r process may cover a wide range of temperatures, potentially starting from several tens of GK (several MeV) and then cooling as material is ejected from the event. As the r-process environment cools, isomers can freeze out of thermal equilibrium or be directly populated as astrophysically metastable isomers (astromers). Astromers can undergo reactions and decays at rates very different from the ground state, so they may need to be treated independently in nucleosythesis simulations. Two key behaviors of astromers—ground state ↔ isomer transition rates and thermalization temperatures—are determined by direct transition rates between pairs of nuclear states. We perform a sensitivity study to constrain the effects of unknown transitions on astromer behavior. Detailed balance ensures that ground → isomer and isomer → ground transitions are symmetric, so unknown transitions are equally impactful in both directions. We also introduce a categorization of astromers that describes their potential effects in hot environments. We provide a table of neutron-rich isomers that includes the astromer type, thermalization temperature, and key unmeasured transition rates.
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10
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Wang W, Zhou J, Liu B, Wang X. Exciting the Isomeric ^{229}Th Nuclear State via Laser-Driven Electron Recollision. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:052501. [PMID: 34397255 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.052501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new approach to excite the isomeric ^{229}Th nuclear state, which has attracted much attention recently as a potential "nuclear clock." Our approach is based on a laser-driven electron recollision process, the core process of strong-field atomic physics. Bringing together knowledge of recollision physics and of the related nuclear physics, we calculate the isomeric excitation probability. This new approach does not require precise knowledge of the energy of the isomeric state. The excitation is well timed which may be exploited to control the coherence of the isomeric state. Experimental realization is within reach using tabletop laser systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Wang
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Boqun Liu
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing 100193, China
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11
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Masuda T, Watanabe T, Beeks K, Fujimoto H, Hiraki T, Kaino H, Kitao S, Miyamoto Y, Okai K, Sasao N, Seto M, Schumm T, Shigekawa Y, Tamasaku K, Uetake S, Yamaguchi A, Yoda Y, Yoshimi A, Yoshimura K. Absolute X-ray energy measurement using a high-accuracy angle encoder. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2021; 28:111-119. [PMID: 33399559 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577520014526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents an absolute X-ray photon energy measurement method that uses a Bond diffractometer. The proposed system enables the prompt and rapid in situ measurement of photon energies over a wide energy range. The diffractometer uses a reference silicon single-crystal plate and a highly accurate angle encoder called SelfA. The performance of the system is evaluated by repeatedly measuring the energy of the first excited state of the potassium-40 nuclide. The excitation energy is determined as 29829.39 (6) eV, and this is one order of magnitude more accurate than the previous measurement. The estimated uncertainty of the photon energy measurement was 0.7 p.p.m. as a standard deviation and the maximum observed deviation was 2 p.p.m.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiko Masuda
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Watanabe
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kjeld Beeks
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics - Atominstitut, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hiroyuki Fujimoto
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Takahiro Hiraki
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kaino
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Shinji Kitao
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Japan
| | - Yuki Miyamoto
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koichi Okai
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Noboru Sasao
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Makoto Seto
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, Kumatori-cho, Japan
| | - Thorsten Schumm
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics - Atominstitut, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Satoshi Uetake
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | | | - Yoshitaka Yoda
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo-cho, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yoshimi
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koji Yoshimura
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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12
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Sikorsky T, Geist J, Hengstler D, Kempf S, Gastaldo L, Enss C, Mokry C, Runke J, Düllmann CE, Wobrauschek P, Beeks K, Rosecker V, Sterba JH, Kazakov G, Schumm T, Fleischmann A. Measurement of the ^{229}Th Isomer Energy with a Magnetic Microcalorimeter. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:142503. [PMID: 33064540 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.142503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We present a measurement of the low-energy (0-60 keV) γ-ray spectrum produced in the α decay of ^{233}U using a dedicated cryogenic magnetic microcalorimeter. The energy resolution of ∼10 eV, together with exceptional gain linearity, allows us to determine the energy of the low-lying isomeric state in ^{229}Th using four complementary evaluation schemes. The most precise scheme determines the ^{229}Th isomer energy to be 8.10(17) eV, corresponding to 153.1(32) nm, superseding in precision previous values based on γ spectroscopy, and agreeing with a recent measurement based on internal conversion electrons. We also measure branching ratios of the relevant excited states to be b_{29}=9.3(6)% and b_{42}<0.7%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Sikorsky
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeschua Geist
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Hengstler
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kempf
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Loredana Gastaldo
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Enss
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Mokry
- Department of Chemistry - TRIGA Site, Johannes Gutenberg University, Fritz-Strassmann-Weg 2, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- SHE Chemistry, Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Staudingerweg 18, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jörg Runke
- Department of Chemistry - TRIGA Site, Johannes Gutenberg University, Fritz-Strassmann-Weg 2, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- SHE Chemistry, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung mbH, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christoph E Düllmann
- Department of Chemistry - TRIGA Site, Johannes Gutenberg University, Fritz-Strassmann-Weg 2, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- SHE Chemistry, Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Staudingerweg 18, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- SHE Chemistry, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung mbH, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Peter Wobrauschek
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kjeld Beeks
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Rosecker
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes H Sterba
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georgy Kazakov
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thorsten Schumm
- Institute for Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Fleischmann
- Kirchhoff-Institute for Physics, Heidelberg University, INF 227, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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13
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Pimon M, Gugler J, Mohn P, Kazakov GA, Mauser N, Schumm T. DFT calculation of 229thorium-doped magnesium fluoride for nuclear laser spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2020; 32:255503. [PMID: 32131054 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab7c90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The 229thorium nucleus has an extremely low-energy isomeric state that could be manipulated with light in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) range. Recent measurements based on internal conversion electrons place the isomer energy at 8.28(17) eV (Seiferle B et al 2019), within the transmission window of large-band-gap materials, such as fluoride single crystals. Doping 229Th into VUV-transparent materials realizes a spectroscopy target with a high nuclei density and might form the basis of a solid-state nuclear clock. This paper presents a theoretical study of the optical properties of a thorium-doped MgF2 crystal. Using the Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package, we perform density functional theory calculations of the electronic and optical properties of Th:MgF2. We determine whether thorium will be accepted as a dopant and identify the charge compensation mechanism and geometry. The simulations indicate, that the band gap of Th-doped MgF2 will be significantly reduced compared to undoped MgF2, below the expected 229Th isomer energy. This result is in striking contrast to a similar study performed for Th-doped CaF2 (Dessovic P et al 2014 J. Phys. Condens. Matter 26 105402).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pimon
- Center for Computational Materials Science, TU Wien, Wiedner Hauptstraße 8-10/134, Austria
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14
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Bilous PV, Bekker H, Berengut JC, Seiferle B, von der Wense L, Thirolf PG, Pfeifer T, López-Urrutia JRC, Pálffy A. Electronic Bridge Excitation in Highly Charged ^{229}Th Ions. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:192502. [PMID: 32469560 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.192502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The excitation of the 8 eV ^{229m}Th isomer through the electronic bridge mechanism in highly charged ions is investigated theoretically. By exploiting the rich level scheme of open 4f orbitals and the robustness of highly charged ions against photoionization, a pulsed high-intensity optical laser can be used to efficiently drive the nuclear transition by coupling it to the electronic shell. We show how to implement a promising electronic bridge scheme in an electron beam ion trap starting from a metastable electronic state. This setup would avoid the need for a tunable vacuum ultraviolet laser. Based on our theoretical predictions, determining the isomer energy with an uncertainty of 10^{-5} eV could be achieved in one day of measurement time using realistic laser parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavlo V Bilous
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Bekker
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Columbia University, 538 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027-5255, USA
| | - Julian C Berengut
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Benedict Seiferle
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Lars von der Wense
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Peter G Thirolf
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Thomas Pfeifer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Adriana Pálffy
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Yamaguchi A, Muramatsu H, Hayashi T, Yuasa N, Nakamura K, Takimoto M, Haba H, Konashi K, Watanabe M, Kikunaga H, Maehata K, Yamasaki NY, Mitsuda K. Energy of the ^{229}Th Nuclear Clock Isomer Determined by Absolute γ-ray Energy Difference. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:222501. [PMID: 31868403 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.222501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The low-lying isomeric state of ^{229}Th provides unique opportunities for high-resolution laser spectroscopy of the atomic nucleus. We determine the energy of this isomeric state by taking the absolute energy difference between the excitation energy required to populate the 29.2-keV state from the ground state and the energy emitted in its decay to the isomeric excited state. A transition-edge sensor microcalorimeter was used to measure the absolute energy of the 29.2-keV γ ray. Together with the cross-band transition energy (29.2 keV→ground) and the branching ratio of the 29.2-keV state measured in a recent study, the isomer energy was determined to be 8.30±0.92 eV. Our result is in agreement with the latest measurements based on different experimental techniques, which further confirms that the isomeric state of ^{229}Th is in the laser-accessible vacuum ultraviolet range.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Yamaguchi
- Quantum Metrology Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - H Muramatsu
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
| | - T Hayashi
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
| | - N Yuasa
- Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - K Nakamura
- Safety and Nuclear Security Administration Department, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8577, Japan
| | - M Takimoto
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
| | - H Haba
- Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - K Konashi
- Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki 311-1313, Japan
| | - M Watanabe
- Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Higashiibaraki-gun, Ibaraki 311-1313, Japan
| | - H Kikunaga
- Research Center for Electron Photon Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 982-0826, Japan
| | - K Maehata
- Department of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - N Y Yamasaki
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
| | - K Mitsuda
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan
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16
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17
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Seiferle B, von der Wense L, Bilous PV, Amersdorffer I, Lemell C, Libisch F, Stellmer S, Schumm T, Düllmann CE, Pálffy A, Thirolf PG. Energy of the 229Th nuclear clock transition. Nature 2019; 573:243-246. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1533-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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