Zirconium isotope separation using tuned laser beams

Claim 1

A method for selectively photoionizing odd mass Zr atoms in a vapour comprising odd and even mass Zr atoms, comprising the steps of: irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized resonant first laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from the J=2 ground state to a J=1 first intermediate state; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized resonant second laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms by a transition from said J=1 first intermediate state to a J=1 second intermediate state in which the m=0 sublevel is substantially unpopulated with even mass Zr atoms, said transition having sufficient hyperfine interaction to establish a substantially isotropic population distribution of odd mass Zr atoms among the magnetic sublevels of said J=1 second intermediate state; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized resonant third laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 second intermediate state to a third intermediate state; irradiating said vapour with electromagnetic radiation effective to ionize Zr atoms in said third intermediate state.

Claim 2

A method for selectively photoionizing odd mass Zr atoms in a vapour comprising odd and even mass Zr atoms, comprising the steps of: irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized resonant first laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from the J=2 ground state to a J=1 first intermediate state; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized resonant second laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms by a transition from said J=1 first intermediate state to a J=1 second intermediate state in which the m=0 sublevel is substantially unpopulated with even mass Zr atoms, said transition having sufficient hyperfine interaction to establish a substantially isotropic population distribution of odd mass Zr atoms among the magnetic sublevels of said J=1 second intermediate state; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized resonant third laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 second intermediate state to a third intermediate state; irradiating said vapour with electromagnetic radiation effective to ionize Zr atoms in said third intermediate state.

Claim 17

A method for selectively photoionizing odd mass Zr atoms in a vapour comprising odd and even mass Zr atoms comprising the steps of: irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized first laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from the J=2 ground state to a J=1 first intermediate state at 17429.86 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized second laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 first intermediate state to a J=1 second intermediate state at 35046.95 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized third laser pulse having an axis of polarization substantially parallel to that of said second laser pulse and at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 second intermediate state to a J=0 third intermediate state at 52604.5 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with electromagnetic radiation effective to ionize Zr atoms in said J=0 third intermediate state.

Claim 18

A method for selectively photoionizing odd mass Zr atoms in a vapour comprising odd and even mass Zr atoms comprising the steps of: irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized first laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from the J=2 ground state to a J=1 first intermediate state at 17429.86 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized second laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 first intermediate state to a J=1 second intermediate state at 35046.95 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized third laser pulse having an axis of polarization substantially parallel to that of said second laser pulse and at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 second intermediate state to a J=0 third intermediate state at 52604.5 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with electromagnetic radiation effective to ionize Zr atoms in said J=0 third intermediate state.

Claim 21

A method for selectively photoionizing odd mass Zr atoms in a vapour comprising odd and even mass Zr atoms comprising the steps of: irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized first laser pulse of a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from the J=2 ground state to a J=1 first intermediate state at 17429.86 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized second laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 first intermediate state to a J=1 second intermediate state at 35046.95 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized third laser pulse having an axis of polarization substantially perpendicular to that of said second laser pulse and at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 second intermediate state to a J=1 third intermediate state at 52502.2 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with electromagnetic radiation effective to ionize Zr atoms in said J=1 third intermediate state.

Claim 22

A method for selectively photoionizing odd mass Zr atoms in a vapour comprising odd and even mass Zr atoms comprising the steps of: irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized first laser pulse of a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from the J=2 ground state to a J=1 first intermediate state at 17429.86 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized second laser pulse at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 first intermediate state to a J=1 second intermediate state at 35046.95 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with a linearly polarized third laser pulse having an axis of polarization substantially perpendicular to that of said second laser pulse and at a wavelength effective to raise the energy of Zr atoms from said J=1 second intermediate state to a J=1 third intermediate state at 52502.2 cm -1 ; irradiating said vapour with electromagnetic radiation effective to ionize Zr atoms in said J=1 third intermediate state.