<div class="csl-bib-body">
<div class="csl-entry">Beeks, K., Sikorsky, T., Rosecker, V., Pressler, M., Schaden, F., Werban, D., Hosseini, N., Rudischer, L., Schneider, F., Berwian, P., Friedrich, J., Hainz, D., Welch, J., Sterba, J., Kazakov, G., & Schumm, T. (2023). Growth and characterization of thorium-doped calcium fluoride single crystals. <i>Scientific Reports</i>, <i>13</i>(1), Article 3897. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-31045-5</div>
</div>
-
dc.identifier.issn
2045-2322
-
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12708/188664
-
dc.description.abstract
We have grown [Formula: see text]Th:CaF[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]Th:CaF[Formula: see text] single crystals for investigations on the VUV laser-accessible first nuclear excited state of [Formula: see text]Th, with the aim of building a solid-state nuclear clock. To reach high doping concentrations despite the extreme scarcity (and radioactivity) of [Formula: see text]Th, we have scaled down the crystal volume by a factor 100 compared to established commercial or scientific growth processes. We use the vertical gradient freeze method on 3.2 mm diameter seed single crystals with a 2 mm drilled pocket, filled with a co-precipitated CaF[Formula: see text]:ThF[Formula: see text]:PbF[Formula: see text] powder in order to grow single crystals. Concentrations of [Formula: see text] cm[Formula: see text] have been realized with [Formula: see text]Th with good (> 10%) VUV transmission. However, the intrinsic radioactivity of [Formula: see text]Th drives radio-induced dissociation during growth and radiation damage after solidification. Both lead to a degradation of VUV transmission, currently limiting the [Formula: see text]Th concentration to [Formula: see text] cm[Formula: see text].
en
dc.description.sponsorship
FWF Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FWF)
-
dc.language.iso
en
-
dc.publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
-
dc.relation.ispartof
Scientific Reports
-
dc.subject
VUV laser-accessible
en
dc.title
Growth and characterization of thorium-doped calcium fluoride single crystals