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arXiv · 2206.11089

Optically enhanced discharge excitation and trapping of $^{39}Ar$

Y. -Q. Chu·Z. -F. Wan·F. Ritterbusch·W. -K. Hu·J. -Q. Gu·S. -M. Hu·Z. -H. Jia·W. Jiang·Z. -T. Lu·L. -T. Sun·A. -M. Tong·J. S. Wang·G. -M. Yang
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Abstract

We report on a two-fold increase of the $^{39}Ar$ loading rate in an atom trap by enhancing the generation of metastable atoms in a discharge source. Additional atoms in the metastable $1s_5$ level (Paschen notation) are obtained via optically pumping both the $1s_4$ - $2p_6$ transition at 801 nm and the $1s_2$ - $2p_6$ transition at 923 nm. By solving the master equation for the corresponding six-level system, we identify these two transitions to be the most suitable ones and encounter a transfer process between $1s_2$ and $1s_4$ when pumping both transitions simultaneously. We calculate the previously unknown frequency shifts of the two transitions in $^{39}Ar$ and confirm the results with trap loading measurements. The demonstrated increase in the loading rate enables a corresponding decrease in the required sample size, uncertainty and measurement time for $^{39}Ar$ dating, a significant improvement for applications such as dating of ocean water and alpine ice cores.

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Y. -Q. Chu, Z. -F. Wan, F. Ritterbusch, W. -K. Hu, J. -Q. Gu, S. -M. Hu, Z. -H. Jia, W. Jiang, Z. -T. Lu, L. -T. Sun, A. -M. Tong, J. S. Wang, G. -M. Yang. 2022-06-24. Optically enhanced discharge excitation and trapping of $^{39}Ar$. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.105.063108

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