Dynamical Control of Nuclear Isomer Depletion via Electron Vortex Beams

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 128; no. 16; p. 162501
• Main Authors: Wu, Yuanbin, Gargiulo, Simone, Carbone, Fabrizio, Keitel, Christoph H, Pálffy, Adriana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 22.04.2022
• ISSN: 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.162501

Some nuclear isomers are known to store a large amount of energy over long periods of time, with a very high energy-to-mass ratio. Here, we describe a protocol to achieve the external control of the isomeric nuclear decay by using electron vortex beams whose wave function has been especially designed and reshaped on demand. Recombination of these electrons into the isomer's atomic shell can lead to the controlled release of the stored nuclear energy. On the example of ^{93m}Mo, we show theoretically that the use of tailored electron vortex beams increases the depletion by 4 orders of magnitude compared to the spontaneous nuclear decay of the isomer. Furthermore, specific orbitals can sustain an enhancement of the recombination cross section for vortex electron beams by as much as 6 orders of magnitude, providing a handle for manipulating the capture mechanism. These findings open new prospects for controlling the interplay between atomic and nuclear degrees of freedom, with potential energy-related and high-energy radiation source applications.