Laser Mössbauer spectroscopy of 229Th in CaF2

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hiraki, Takahiro; Masuda, Takahiko; Takatori, Sayuri; Schaden, Fabian; Bartokos, Michael; Beeks, Kjeld; Fukunaga, Yuta; Gruneis, Andreas; Guan, Ming; Kazakov, Georgy; LaGrange, Thomas; Leitner, Adrian; Morawetz, Ira; Ogake, Ryoichiro; Okai, Koichi; Pimon, Martin; Pressler, Martin; Riebner, Thomas; Sasao, Noboru; Schneider, Felix; Schumm, Thorsten; Shimizu, Kotaro; de Col, Luca Toscani; Sikorsky, Tomas; Yoshimi, Akihiro; Yoshimura, Koji
• 署名单位: Okayama University; Technische Universitat Wien; Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain; Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne; Charles University Prague
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aea7978
• 发表日期: 2026-08-20
• 页码: 795-799
• 关键词: electron-microscopy; TRANSITION

摘要

M & ouml;ssbauer spectroscopy is widely used in chemistry, geology, and solid-state physics to probe the local physical and chemical environment of nuclei in materials. Here, we extended this technique into the optical range using a vacuum ultraviolet laser to probe the low-energy nuclear transitions of thorium-229 (229Th) doped in calcium fluoride (CaF2) crystals. We discovered four distinct doping sites for the thorium ions, determined the characteristic electric field gradients emerging from the interaction with the host crystal, and identified the microscopic structure of the two dominant configurations. Site-selective laser excitation enabled the study of the isomeric state lifetime and laser-induced quenching for all sites. This technique provides a powerful probe of the nuclear environment, yielding foundational data for designing future solid-state nuclear clocks.