Photoexcitation of the $^{229}$Th nuclear clock transition using twisted light

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical feasibility of using vortex light beams with orbital angular momentum to excite the $^{229}$Th nuclear transition for a nuclear clock, analyzing two experimental setups and comparing with traditional plane wave excitation.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical analysis of vortex light beams for nuclear excitation, proposing two promising experimental configurations for the $^{229}$Th nuclear clock.

Findings

Vortex beams can effectively excite the nuclear transition.

Two experimental configurations show promising excitation prospects.

Comparison indicates unique features of vortex beam excitation.

Abstract

The $^{229}$Th nucleus has a unique transition at only 8 eV which could be used for a novel nuclear clock. We investigate theoretically the prospects of driving this transition with vortex light beams carrying orbital angular momentum. Numerical results are presented for two experimental configurations which are promising for the design of the planned nuclear clock: a trapped ion setup and a large ensemble of nuclei doped into CaF$_2$ crystals which are transparent in the frequency range of the nuclear transition. We discuss the feasibility of the vortex beam nuclear excitation and compare the excitation features with the case of plane wave beams.