Work

Theory of Internal Conversion of the Th 229 Nuclear Isomer in Solid-State Hosts

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Laser excitation of ^{229}Th nuclei in doped wide band gap crystals has been demonstrated recently, opening the possibility of developing ultrastable solid-state clocks and sensitive searches for new physics. We develop a quantitative theory of the internal conversion (IC) of isomeric ^{229}Th in solid-state hosts and elucidate a crucial requirement in choosing the solid-state hosts in nuclear clock applications. The IC of the isomer proceeds by resonantly exciting a valence band electron to a defect state, accompanied by multiphonon emission. We demonstrate that, if the process is energetically allowed, it generally quenches the isomer on a millisecond timescales, much faster than the isomer's radiative lifetime, despite ^{229}Th being in the +4 charge state in the valence band.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/9s8f-hv1f

Authors: H. W. T. Morgan, H. B. Tran Tan, R. Elwell, A. N. Alexandrova, Eric R. Hudson, Andrei Derevianko

Institutions: University of California, Los Angeles, University of Manchester, University of Nevada, Reno, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Language: Latvian

Topic: Advanced Frequency and Time Standards

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Army Research Office