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中国物理学会期刊

钕-150同位素三步选择性光电离理论研究

CSTR: 32037.14.aps.74.20250262

Numerical studies of three-step selective photoionization of neodymium-150 isotope

CSTR: 32037.14.aps.74.20250262
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  • 富集钕-150同位素在核工业、科学研究等领域具有重要应用. 基于高效高选择性多步电离路径, 原子蒸气激光同位素分离法能够实现钕同位素分离, 但现用路径第2步跃迁的同位素位移(isotope shift, IS)几乎为零, 导致产品中Nd-150丰度偏低. 本文基于密度矩阵理论建立了通用的三步电离路径选择性光电离模型, 模型中综合考虑了同位素位移、超精细结构等原子参数和频率、功率、线宽、偏振等激光参数, 可在磁子能级级别计算原子与激光的相互作用过程. 基于上述模型, 通过与文献数据对比获得了现用路径分支比的最优拟合值, 评估了现用路径在不同线宽下的Nd-150丰度水平; 在仅改变第2步跃迁的前提下构造假定电离路径, 开展所有钕同位素的电离率计算, 评估不同同位素位移、超精细结构下的Nd-150丰度, 指导后续原子光谱实验. 数值计算发现第二激发态角动量J3 = 6, 同位素位移IS23,148 ≥ 300 MHz时, 在b12 ≤ 0.5 GHz, b23 ≤ 1.0 GHz, 平行线偏振的典型激光参数下可实现与电磁法相当的Nd-150丰度(> 95%). 在此基础上压窄激光线宽, 能够在保持电离率的同时获得超过电磁法的Nd-150产品. 后续原子光谱实验应着重寻找IS23,148 ≥ 300 MHz, J3 = 6的第2步跃迁, 第2步跃迁的约化电偶极矩达到现用路径的30%即可满足丰度要求.

     

    The enriched neodymium-150 (Nd-150) isotope has important applications in fields such as nuclear industry and basic scientific research. The Nd isotope separation can be conducted by atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS), where the target isotope is selectively ionized through the λ1 = 596 nm → λ2 = 579 nm → λ3 = 640 nm photoionization scheme, and non-target isotopes remain neutral due to the frequency-detuned excitation. Subsequently, an external electric field is applied to extract the ions from the laser-produced plasma. The Nd-150 abundance in the product cannot meet the requirement of the application, attributed to the nearly negligible isotope shift of the λ2 = 579 nm transition, thus resulting in the excess ionization of non-target isotopes. A new high-selectivity photoionization scheme is desirable to address this limitation, and its expected parameter values can be determined through numerical calculations prior to the time-consuming atomic spectroscopy experiments. In this study, a three-step selective photoionization model is established based on the density matrix theory, with the consideration of the hyperfine structures and magnetic sublevels. This model allows the flexible adjustments of atomic parameters (e.g. branching ratio, isotope shift, hyperfine constant) and laser parameters (e.g. frequency, power density, bandwidth, polarization), while the ionization probabilities of magnetic sublevel transitions can be quantitatively predicted. For the existing schemes, the branching ratios are determined by comparing literature data with numerical results, and the Nd-150 abundance values under different laser bandwidths are evaluated. Further, an alternative scheme is numerically explored on the assumption that the first transition remains unchanged and the second transition has a more significant isotope shift and a smaller branching ratio, and the Nd-150 abundance values under different combinations of isotope shifts, hyperfine structures, and laser bandwidths are evaluated, with all the natural Nd isotopes included. From the numerical results, a scheme with the angular momentum of the second excited state J3 = 6, the isotope shift between Nd-148 and Nd-150 IS23,148 ≥ 300 MHz, and a lower reduced dipole matrix element of the second transition reaching approximately 30% of that of λ2 = 579 nm, can produce the high-abundance Nd-150 (>95%, equivalent to that of the electromagnetic separation method) under the bandwidths: b12 ≤ 0.5 GHz and b23 ≤ 1.0 GHz, and parallel linear-polarized lasers. Using the lasers with narrower bandwidth can achieve higher abundance, which is superior to the electromagnetic separation method. The expected high-abundance Nd-150 can be attributed to the combined effects of multi-factors: the larger isotope shift between Nd-150 and Nd-148 than that between other adjacent isotope pairs, the insignificant hyperfine splitting of odd isotopes, and the match between narrow-bandwidth lasers and Nd I spectroscopic parameters. These parameter values can serve as benchmarks helpful for experimental parameter selection in the forthcoming high-precision spectroscopy experiments.

     

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