Speaker
Description
The nuclear transition between the nuclear ground state and the isomer of thorium-229 offers a unique opportunity for direct laser spectroscopy of the atomic nucleus. One of the applications is a high-accuracy nuclear clock based on the resonance frequency of this nuclear transition. We developed an ion trap for triply charged thorium-229 obtained as recoil ions from the -decay of uranium-233. From uranium-233, we can obtain thorium-229 isomers with a branching ratio of approximately 2%. We developed a nuclear-state-selective laser spectroscopy technique to detect and investigate detailed properties of triply charged thorium-229 isomers in a trap. We will also report our recent activities towards laser cooling of triply charged thorium-229 in a trap.
