Modelling of transient interference phenomena in collinear laser spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper models transient interference effects in collinear laser spectroscopy to enhance spectral resolution, offering a better understanding of line shapes and proposing new experimental schemes for faster, more precise atomic measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a simple model to describe line shapes in transient interference phenomena, enabling improved resolution in collinear laser spectroscopy of fast atomic beams.

Findings

The model accurately describes observed line shapes.

Proposed schemes can potentially enhance spectral resolution.

Provides insights into transient interference effects in spectroscopy.

Abstract

Collinear laser spectroscopy of fast atomic beams has been established as one of the main tools to perform precision experiments with atoms containing short-lived nuclei. Although highly sensitive, the spectral resolution of these techniques is typically limited to several MHz. Here, we study the use of transient interference phenomena to potentially improve the experimental resolution. Previous attempts to implement Ramsey-type measurements with fast beams were limited by the lack of understanding of the observed line shapes. By using a simple model, we provide a satisfactory description of the previously observed line shapes, and propose alternative experimental schemes to improve the resolution in fast ion-beam experiments.