WAVE-PACKET ISOTOPE-SEPARATION

Authors
AVERBUKH IS VRAKKING MJJ VILLENEUVE DM STOLOW A
Citation
Is. Averbukh et al., WAVE-PACKET ISOTOPE-SEPARATION, Physical review letters, 77(17), 1996, pp. 3518-3521
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Physical review letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
00319007
Volume
77
Issue
17
Year of publication
1996
Pages
3518 - 3521
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-9007(1996)77:17<3518:WI>2.0.ZU;2-T
Abstract
We introduce and demonstrate a general wave packet method for laser is otope separation. In this scheme, laser excited molecular (or atomic) wave packets of differing isotopes become spatially separated in the c ourse of their long-time free evolution. In order to overcome the quan tum spreading of wave packets, we make use of the phenomenon of reviva ls. We demonstrate experimentally, with mixed Br-79(2)/Br-81(2) isotop es, that significant control over the isotope ratio can be achieved in a single shot.