Atomic vapor laser isotopic separation of thallium-203 from natural thallium and lead-210 from natural lead involves photon excitation of natural thallium or lead vapor, followed by field ionization and electrostatic extraction

摘要

Process comprises using a laser system (101) involving quasi-resonant photon excitation, two photon resonant excitation, or excitation at one or more Rydberg levels, followed by field ionization and electrostatic extraction. The wavelength in the intermediate quasi-resonant state is counter-propagated with respect to the second wavelength necessary to populate the final Rydberg state. Separation of thallium-203 isotope starting from thallium vapor containing more than one isotope including thallium-203 involves: (a) producing photons having a first frequency by a laser system (101), where a first wavelength corresponding to a first frequency is around 377.7 nanometers; (b) producing photons having a second frequency by the same laser system (101), where a second wavelength corresponding to the second frequency is 443.7 nanometers; (c) pumping the photons having the first and second frequencies into the thallium vapor, where the photons having the first frequency excite a number of thallium-203 atoms in the fundamental state to an intermediate quasi-resonant state, and the photons having the second frequency excite the number of thallium-203 atoms in the intermediate quasi-resonant state to a final Rydberg state; and (d) collecting the thallium-203 isotope. An Independent claim is also included for a process for separation of thallium-203 isotope starting from thallium vapor containing more than one isotope including thallium-203.