Radiative Decay of the $^{229m}$Th Nuclear Clock Isomer in Different Host Materials

S. V. Pineda; P. Chhetri; S. Bara; Y. Elskens; S. Casci; A. N. Alexandrova; M. Au; M. Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis; M. Bartokos; K. Beeks; C. Bernerd; A. Claessens; K. Chrysalidis; T. E. Cocolios; J. G. Correia; H. De Witte; R. Elwell; R. Ferrer; R. Heinke; E. R. Hudson; F. Ivandikov; Yu. Kudryavtsev; U. Köster; S. Kraemer; M. Laatiaoui; R. Lica; C. Merckling; I. Morawetz; H. W. T. Morgan; D. Moritz; L. M. C. Pereira; S. Raeder; S. Rothe; F. Schaden; K. Scharl; T. Schumm; S. Stegemann; J. Terhune; P. G. Thirolf; S. M. Tunhuma; P. Van Den Bergh; P. Van Duppen; A. Vantomme; U. Wahl; Z. Yue

doi:10.1103/physrevresearch.7.013052

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arXiv · 2408.12309

Radiative Decay of the $^{229m}$Th Nuclear Clock Isomer in Different Host Materials

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Abstract

A comparative vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy study conducted at ISOLDE-CERN of the radiative decay of the $^{229m}$Th nuclear clock isomer embedded in different host materials is reported. The ratio of the number of radiative decay photons and the number of $^{229m}$Th embedded are determined for single crystalline CaF$_2$, MgF$_2$, LiSrAlF$_6$, AlN, and amorphous SiO$_2$. For the latter two materials, no radiative decay signal was observed and an upper limit of the ratio is reported. The radiative decay wavelength was determined in LiSrAlF$_6$ and CaF$_2$, reducing its uncertainty by a factor of 2.5 relative to our previous measurement. This value is in agreement with the recently reported improved values from laser excitation.

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S. V. Pineda, P. Chhetri, S. Bara, Y. Elskens, S. Casci, A. N. Alexandrova, M. Au, M. Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis, M. Bartokos, K. Beeks, C. Bernerd, A. Claessens, K. Chrysalidis, T. E. Cocolios, J. G. Correia, H. De Witte, R. Elwell, R. Ferrer, R. Heinke, E. R. Hudson, F. Ivandikov, Yu. Kudryavtsev, U. Köster, S. Kraemer, M. Laatiaoui, R. Lica, C. Merckling, I. Morawetz, H. W. T. Morgan, D. Moritz, L. M. C. Pereira, S. Raeder, S. Rothe, F. Schaden, K. Scharl, T. Schumm, S. Stegemann, J. Terhune, P. G. Thirolf, S. M. Tunhuma, P. Van Den Bergh, P. Van Duppen, A. Vantomme, U. Wahl, Z. Yue. 2024-08-22. Radiative Decay of the $^{229m}$Th Nuclear Clock Isomer in Different Host Materials. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.7.013052

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