Abstract
Optical spectroscopy constitutes the historical path to accumulate basic knowledge on the atom and its structure. Former work based on fluorescence and resonance ionization spectroscopy enabled identifying optical spectral lines up to element 102, nobelium. The new challenges faced in this research field are the refractory nature of the heavier elements and the decreasing production yields. A new concept of ion-mobility-assisted laser spectroscopy is proposed to overcome the sensitivity limits of atomic structure investigations persisting in the region of the superheavy elements. The concept offers capabilities of both broadband-level searches and high-resolution hyperfine spectroscopy of synthetic elements beyond nobelium.
- Received 6 November 2019
- Accepted 3 June 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.023002
© 2020 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Focus
FocusHow to Measure Superheavy Spectra
Published 10 July 2020
A proposed technique could allow researchers to measure spectra of elements above atomic number 102, despite the tiny quantities in which they are produced.
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