Laser-assisted nuclear γ excitation by the inverse electronic-bridge process

A method to generate low-energy and high-multipolarity nuclear transitions through a laser-assisted, resonant, inverse electronic-bridge process is presented. The cross section of the suggested nuclear-excitation process is calculated in a simple model. The yield is compared with the yields of ordinary γ-ray absorption and Coulomb excitation. The excitation of the 235mU isomeric state of energy 73.5 eV by an E3 transition is traced numerically. The excitation of an electron from the O4 (5d3/2) electronic shell of binding energy 105 eV can be followed by a P3 (6p3/2)→O4 transition, which can be tuned by the laser to resonance with the nuclear transition. In case of resonance, the electronic excitation energy is transferred to the nucleus with a high efficiency