Abstract
We have produced laser-cooled Wigner crystals of in a linear Paul trap. The magnetic dipole () and electric quadrupole () hyperfine constants for four low-lying electronic levels and the relative isotope shifts with respect to for three low-lying optical transitions are measured. Using the hyperfine constants in conjunction with prior atomic structure calculations, a new value of the spectroscopic nuclear electric quadrupole moment is deduced. These results are a step towards optical excitation of the low-lying isomer level in the nucleus.
- Received 21 March 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.223001
© 2011 American Physical Society
Synopsis
The nuclear option
Published 2 June 2011
Optical clocks based on nuclear energy levels may offer unprecedented precision and a chance to find out whether fundamental constants change over time.
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