Discover
/
Article

Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy

OCT 01, 1994
A technique based on laser ionization allows researchers to attack an array of problems ranging from measuring fundamental physical parameters of atomic nuclei to understanding the extinction of the dinosaurs.
G. Samuel Hurst
Vladilen S. Letokhov

More than two decades ago a laser‐based spectroscopic technique was developed that has since proved effective in solving problems no other spectroscopic method, conventional or laser based, can tackle. Known as resonance ionization spectroscopy, it has become a very useful tool for pure and applied research in physics and chemistry (see an example in figure 1), and it has found application in many other fields, including microelectronics, the Earth sciences and biomedicine.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. See, for example, C. M. Miller, J. E. Parks, eds., Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy—1992, IOP, Bristol, UK (1992).

  2. 2. V. S. Letokhov, Laser Photoionization Spectroscopy, Academic, New York (1987).

  3. 3. G. S. Hurst, M. G. Payne, Principles and Applications of Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy, Adam Hilger, Bristol, UK (1988).

  4. 4. S. Chu, A. P. Mills, Phys. Rev. Lett. 48, 1333 (1982).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  5. 5. B. I. Greene, R. C. Farrow, J. Chem. Phys. 78, 3336 (1983).https://doi.org/JCPSA6

  6. 6. V. S. Letokhov, S. K. Sekatskii, Opt. Spectrosc. 76, 271 (1994).https://doi.org/OPSUA3

  7. 7. E. B. Saloman, in Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy—1992, C. M. Miller, J. E. Parks, eds., IOP, Bristol, UK (1992), p. 67.

  8. 8. S. V. Andreev, V. S. Letokhov, V. I. Mishin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 1274 (1987).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  9. 9. G. S. Hurst, M. G. Payne, M. H. Nayfeh, J. P. Judish, E. B. Wagner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 35, 82 (1975). https://doi.org/PRLTAO
    M. G. Payne, G. S. Hurst, M. H. Nayfeh, J. P. Judish, C. H. Chen, E. B. Wagner, J. P. Young, Phys. Rev. Lett. 35, 1154 (1975).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  10. 10. H.‐J. Kluge, Hyperfine Interact. 74, 287 (1992).https://doi.org/HYINDN

  11. 11. G. D. Alkhazov, A. E. Barzakh, E. E. Berlovich, V. P. Denisov, A. G. Dernyatin, V. S. Ivanov, V. S. Letokhov, V. I. Mishin, V. N. Fedodeyev, Pis’ma Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 40, 95 (1984);
    G. D. Alkhazov, A. E. Barzakh, E. E. Berlovich, V. P. Denisov, A. G. Dernyatin, V. S. Ivanov, V. S. Letokhov, V. I. Mishin, V. N. Fedodeyev, Opt. Commun. 52, 24 (1984).https://doi.org/OPCOB8

  12. 12. J. K. P. Lee, J. E. Crawford, Z. Raut, G. Savard, G. Thekkadath, T. H. Duong, J. Pinard, Nucl. Instrum. Methods B 26, 444 (1987).https://doi.org/NIMBEU

  13. 13. V. I. Mishin, V. N. Fedoseyev, H.‐J. Kluge, V. S. Letokhov, H. L. Ravn, F. Scheerer, Y. Shirakabe, S. Sundell, O. Tengblad, and ISOLDE collaboration, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 73, 550 (1993).https://doi.org/NIMBEU

  14. 14. G. S. Hurst, M. G. Payne, S. D. Kramer, C. H. Chen, R. C. Phillips, S. L. Allman, G. D. Alton, J. W. T. Dabbs, R. D. Willis, B. E. Lehmann, Rep. Prog. Phys. 48, 1333 (1985).https://doi.org/RPPHAG

  15. 15. G. S. Hurst, C. H. Chen, S. D. Kramer, B. T. Cleveland, R. DavisJr, R. K. Rowley, F. Gabbard, P. J. Schima, Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1116 (1984).https://doi.org/PRLTAO

  16. 16. B. E. Lehmann, “An Analytical Method Based on Laser Resonance Ionization Mass Spectroscopy for Counting Kr 81 Atomsin Groundwater, in Polar Ice Samples and in Meteorites and for a Proposed Solar Neutrino Experiment (A Review),” Physics Inst., U. of Bern, Switzerland (February 1993).

  17. 17. L. W. Alvarez, W. Alvarez, F. Azaro, H. V. Michel, Science 208, 1095 (1980).https://doi.org/SCIEAS

  18. 18. G. I. Bekov, V. S. Letokhov, V. N. Radaev, D. D. Badykov, M. A. Nazarov, Nature 332, 146 (1988).https://doi.org/NATUAS

  19. 19. H. F. Arlinghaus, M. T. Spaar, N. Thonnard, A. W. McMahon, T. Tanigaki, H. Shichi, P. H. Holloway, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 11, 2317 (1993). https://doi.org/JVTAD6
    K. B. Jacobson, H. F. Arlinghaus, Anal. Chem. 64, 315A (1992).https://doi.org/ANCHAM

  20. 20. B. J. Garrison, N. Winograd, Chemtech, January 1993, p. 25.

  21. 21. D. R. Spiegel, W. F. Calaway, A. M. Davis, J. W. Burnett, M. J. Pellin, S. R. Coon, C. E. Young, R. N. Clayton, D. M. Gruen, Anal. Chem. 64, 469 (1992).https://doi.org/ANCHAM

  22. 22. S. W. Downey, A. B. Emerson, R. F. Kopf, E. F. Shubert, in Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy—1992, C. M. Miller, J. E. Parks, eds., IOP, Bristol, UK (1992), p. 255.

  23. 23. M. G. Payne, L. Deng, N. Thonnard, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 65, 2433 (1994).https://doi.org/RSINAK

More about the authors

G. Samuel Hurst, Institute of Resonance, Ionization Spectroscopy, University of Knoxville.

Vladilen S. Letokhov, Institute of Spectroscopy of the Russian, Academy of Sciences, Troitsk.

Related content
/
Article
A half century after the discovery of Hawking radiation, we are still dealing with the quantum puzzle it exposed.
/
Article
Since the discovery was first reported in 1999, researchers have uncovered many aspects of the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
/
Article
Metrologists are using fundamental physics to define units of measure. Now NIST has developed new quantum sensors to measure and realize the pascal.
/
Article
Nanoscale, topologically protected whirlpools of spins have the potential to move from applications in spintronics into quantum science.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1994_10.jpeg

Volume 47, Number 10

Get PT newsletters in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.