Abstract
When Th nuclei are doped in crystals, a set of electronic defect states appear in the crystal band gap which would otherwise provide complete transparency to vacuum-ultraviolet radiation. The coupling of these defect states to the 8 eV nuclear isomer in the crystal is investigated theoretically. We show that although previously viewed as a nuisance, the defect states provide a starting point for nuclear excitation via electronic bridge mechanisms involving stimulated emission or absorption using an optical laser. The rates of these processes are at least 2 orders of magnitude larger than direct photoexcitation of the isomeric state using available light sources. The nuclear isomer population can also undergo quenching when triggered by the reverse mechanism, leading to a fast and controlled decay via the electronic shell. These findings are relevant for a possible solid-state nuclear clock based on the isomeric transition.
- Received 15 April 2020
- Accepted 16 June 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.032501
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by the Max Planck Society.
Published by the American Physical Society