Nuclear Quantum Optics with X-Ray Laser Pulses

The direct interaction of nuclei with superintense laser fields is studied. We show that present and upcoming high-frequency laser facilities, especially together with a moderate acceleration of the target nuclei to match photon and transition frequency, do allow for resonant laser-nucleus interaction. These direct interactions may be utilized for the model-independent optical measurement of nuclear properties such as the transition frequency and the dipole moment, thus opening the field of nuclear quantum optics. As an ultimate goal, one may hope that direct laser-nucleus interactions could become a versatile tool to enhance preparation, control, and detection in nuclear physics.

Figure 1

Inversion $W$ (top) and electric field envelope of the 30 fs (FWHM) Gaussian laser pulse (bottom) as functions of time in the nuclear rest frame for the $E1$ transition in ${}^{223}\mathrm{Ra}$; $|C_g{|}^2$ and $|C_e{|}^2$ denote the occupation probabilities of the ground ($g$) and excited ($e$) state, respectively.

Figure 2

Inversion $W$ as function of time in the nuclear rest frame for the $E1$ transition in ${}^{223}\mathrm{Ra}$ and intensities as indicated. The maxima of the train of six 30 fs (FWHM) Gaussian laser pulses are indicated by the downward arrows.

Figure 3

(a) Inversion $W$ versus laser field detuning in ${}^{223}\mathrm{Ra}$ for a 30 fs (FWHM) Gaussian laser pulse. (b) The inversion for different decoherence times. Both cases correspond to $I={10}^{24}\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{cm}}^2$.