High voltage determination and stabilization for collinear laser spectroscopy applications.

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Atomic Physics
• Laser Spectroscopy

Background:

• Fast beam collinear laser spectroscopy precisely measures nuclear properties (spin, moments, charge radius) using atomic observables like hyperfine splitting and isotope shift.
• Doppler broadening reduction via electrostatic acceleration is key, but acceleration potential is now the main systematic uncertainty.
• Advancements in laser frequency stabilization highlight the need to address remaining systematic errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a novel high-voltage system to reduce systematic uncertainties in collinear laser spectroscopy.
• To investigate and correct for the effects of field penetration in the laser-ion interaction region.
• To enable more precise measurements of nuclear properties for exotic nuclei.

Main Methods:

• Development and testing of a custom high-voltage divider and feedback loop for precise electrostatic acceleration.
• Implementation of collinear laser spectroscopy at a 100-kHz precision level.
• Laser spectroscopic extraction of field penetration effects using a frequency comb for laser referencing and Doppler tuning.

Main Results:

• A high-voltage system achieving 100-kHz precision was successfully developed and tested.
• Field penetration effects on isotope shifts and hyperfine splittings were quantified.
• An effective scanning potential was defined, allowing for precise Doppler tuning without systematic deviations.

Conclusions:

• The developed high-voltage system and field penetration correction significantly reduce systematic uncertainties in fast beam collinear laser spectroscopy.
• These advancements enable more accurate determination of nuclear ground state properties for exotic nuclei.
• The methodology allows for the continued use of efficient Doppler tuning while maintaining high precision.