Three-step photoionization of mercury for application to separation of mercury isomers

Development of techniques for separating isomeric nuclides is important to the investigation of schemes for gamma-ray lasers. In preparation for an experiment to separate 1014 atoms of the /sub 197m/Hg (299 keV, tau/sub 1/2/ = 24 hours) isomer, we report isotopically selective resonance ionization of mercury atoms. This has been accomplished by three-step excitation via the 63P1 and 81S0 excited states, using three collinear pulsed laser beams of 254, 286, and 532 nm wavelengths from a Nd:YAG and two dye lasers. These beams were passed through a closed mercury-vapor cell containing electrostatic plates to which the ions were drawn. Ion current and fluorescent radiation were measured as a function of laser frequency. Hyperfine structures for the 254- and 286-nm transitions were observed