Abstract
High selectivity (>10) for separation of from other Zr isotopes was observed during triple resonant ionization of Zr vapors. Linearly polarized lasers were used to prepare aligned states, from which further excitation to a presently discovered J=0 level could be suppressed for even-mass isotopes, by a suitable choice of relative laser polarization. Photoionization of the odd-mass isotope could be retained by use of transitions with relatively strong hyperfine interactions, because of associated population redistributions in the magnetic sublevels. The dependence of the even-mass-isotope signals on relative laser polarization followed sinusoidal forms, which are in excellent agreement with predictions derived using only geometric components of the transition dipole moment. The isotopic selectivity for can be increased by use of saturating fluences, because of the effects of saturation, population trapping in the even-mass isotopes and strong hyperfine interactions in the odd-mass isotopes. For the same reasons, biases in even:odd isotope ratio measurements cannot always be eliminated by polarization scrambling or magic angles.
- Received 13 January 1993
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.47.4946
©1993 American Physical Society