Detection of low-lying atomic states in actinium

Two lowest-energy odd-parity atomic levels of the radioactive element actinium were observed in a laser-spectroscopy experiment at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, resolving a long-standing puzzle of “missing” atomic states predicted by theory. The properties of these states (exact energies, lifetime, and hyperfine structure) were studied by the experimental team and found to […]

Zero‐field NMR in metal containers

High field (HF) NMR is regularly used for chemical reaction monitoring, which has tremendous applications in industry, biology and medicine. In zero- to ultralow-field (ZULF) NMR we perform an unorthodox type of NMR experiment which does not require the usual large magnetic field. In high field NMR, observing complex media inevitably leads to broad spectral lines, limiting the […]