Experimental verification of a simple method to avoid isotopic biases resulting from hyperfine structure in resonant ionization mass spectroscopy

W. D. Brandon, W. R. Garrett, C. H. Chen, S. L. Allman, M. G. Payne

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hyperfine structure plays a major role in producing "anomalous" odd-to-even isotope ratios in the stepwise excitation, ionization and mass analysis of an element with broad bandwidth, long-pulsed lasers. PAYNE et al. [Spectrochim Acta 46B, 1439 (1992)] proposed that these anomalies may be avoided by cautious application of a simple prescription. We test the prediction by conducting a one-color, two-step ionization experiment on Sn at sufficient laser intensity such that the power-broadened width of a selected resonant transition exceeds the laser bandwidth. The laser is detuned from resonance by an amount greater than the laser bandwidth but less than the power-broadened width. The data obtained in our study confirm the prediction that a slightly detuned resonant ionization scheme effectively eliminates odd/even isotope ionization biases and that operating at adequate laser intensity produces a fairly wide detuning regime over which faithful odd/even isotope ratios are expected. Specifically, detunings of 5-10 cm-1 are sufficient to eliminate these biases in the two-photon stepwise (1 + 1) ionization by way of 3P03P1 resonance in tin (Sn) at a laser power density of 108 W cm-2.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1057-1066
Number of pages10
JournalSpectrochimica Acta - Part B Atomic Spectroscopy
Volume49
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1994

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Instrumentation
  • Spectroscopy

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