The content discusses the potential of using the optical nuclear transition in thorium-229 (229Th) for developing a nuclear clock that could surpass the accuracy of existing atomic clocks. Specifically, it focuses on the triply charged 229Th (229Th3+) as the most suitable charge state for a nuclear clock due to its closed electronic transitions, which enable laser cooling, laser-induced fluorescence detection, and state preparation of ions.
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The authors report the trapping of the 229Th isomer (229mTh3+) continuously supplied by a 233U source and the determination of its nuclear decay half-life to be 1,400(+600/-300) seconds through nuclear-state-selective laser spectroscopy.
By determining the hyperfine constants of 229mTh3+, the authors were able to reduce the uncertainty of the sensitivity of the 229Th nuclear clock to variations in the fine-structure constant by a factor of four.
These results provide essential parameters for the development of the 229Th3+ nuclear clock and its potential applications in the search for new physics.
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by Atsushi Yama... at www.nature.com 04-17-2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07296-1Deeper Inquiries