Coherent X-ray-optical control of nuclear excitons

Area of Science:

• Quantum Optics and Spectroscopy
• Nuclear Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Coherent control of quantum dynamics is crucial for fundamental studies and applications.
• While coherent control is established in visible and extreme-ultraviolet domains, it remains a challenge for atomic nuclei at hard X-ray energies.
• Mössbauer spectroscopy utilizes narrow nuclear resonances for material property analysis, with potential for enhancement through control techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate coherent control of atomic nuclei using shaped near-resonant X-ray fields.
• To switch nuclear exciton dynamics between enhanced excitation and emission using tunable X-ray pulse phases.
• To establish a method for precise temporal control of nuclear quantum states.

Main Methods:

• Shaping single X-ray pulses from state-of-the-art facilities into tunable double pulses.
• Utilizing the tunable phase between two X-ray pulses to manipulate nuclear exciton dynamics.
• Demonstrating temporal stability of phase control on the few-zeptosecond timescale.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated coherent control of atomic nuclei using shaped hard X-ray pulses.
• Achieved switching of nuclear exciton dynamics between coherent enhanced excitation and emission.
• Established few-zeptosecond timescale temporal stability for phase control.

Conclusions:

• This work unlocks coherent optical control for atomic nuclei.
• Paves the way for nuclear Ramsey spectroscopy and spin-echo techniques, advancing nuclear quantum optics.
• Enables the development of X-ray clocks, frequency standards, and time-resolved studies of nuclear out-of-equilibrium dynamics.