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Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
Published on: May 3, 2019
X-Ray-Induced Quenching of the ^{229}Th Clock Isomer in CaF_{2}
Ming Guan1, Michael Bartokos2, Kjeld Beeks2
1Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
None:
Recent studies have shown that the lifetime of the isomeric ^{229}Th doped in crystals can be shortened by x-ray or laser irradiation, a phenomenon referred to as isomer quenching. We investigate the temperature dependence of x-ray-induced quenching in ^{229}Th:CaF_{2} and identify a correlation with the afterglow of the host crystal. These results suggest a mechanism in which x-ray-induced electrons migrate through the lattice and are captured at Th sites, enabling isomer deexcitation via internal conversion through electron-nucleus coupling. This mechanism links nuclear decay to charge carrier dynamics in the host crystal, providing a new interface between nuclear and solid-state physics. The findings offer a pathway to optimize the performance of solid-state nuclear clocks.
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