Proposal and theoretical investigation of 229Th-doped nonlinear optical crystals for compact solid-state clocks
The recent laser excitation of the 229Th isomeric transition in a solid-state host opens the door for a portable solid-state nuclear optical clock. However, at present, the vacuum-ultraviolet laser systems required for clock operation are not conducive to a fieldable form factor. Here, we propose a possible solution to this problem by using 229Th-doped nonlinear optical crystals, which would allow clock operation without a vacuum-ultraviolet laser system and without the need of maintaining the crystal under vacuum. We investigate electronic properties and thorium doping in BaMgF4 and BaZnF4 with density functional theory, predicting BaMgF4 to be the superior material, and evaluate the performance of a Th:BaMgF4 clock.
Authors
- Anastassia N. Alexandrova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3003-1911)
- ROBERT ELWELL (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9714-0272)
- Eric R. Hudson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9978-9202)
- Harry W. T. Morgan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9647-8807)
- H. B. Tran Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1511-6052)
- U. C. Perera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3950-3134)
- J. E. S. Terhune (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9078-4993)
- Andrei Derevianko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7105-4853)
Institutions
- University of Nevada, Reno (US)
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- University of Manchester (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Applied Physics Letters
- Published
- 2025-03-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0247867
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Crystal Structures and Properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.28
Funders
- National Science Foundation