For the first time, nuclear physicists have made precision measurements of a short-lived radioactive molecule, radium monofluoride (RaF). In their study published in the journal Nature Physics, the researchers combined ion-trapping techniques with specialized laser systems to measure the fine details of the quantum structure of RaF.
For the first time, nuclear physicists have made precision measurements of a short-lived radioactive molecule, radium monofluoride (RaF). In their study published in the journal Nature Physics, the researchers combined ion-trapping techniques with specialized laser systems to measure the fine details of the quantum structure of RaF.
This approach allowed the characterization of the rotational energy levels of this molecule as well as the determination of its laser-cooling scheme. Laser cooling is a method that uses laser light to slow down and trap atoms and molecules. These results represent a pivotal step for future experiments aiming to laser-cool and trap RaF molecules.
