Laser resonance ionization spectroscopy on lutetium for the MEDICIS project

The MEDICIS-PROMED Innovative Training Network under the Horizon 2020 EU program aims to establish a network of early stage researchers, involving scientific exchange and active cooperation between leading European research institutions, universities, hospitals, and industry. Primary scientific goal is the purpose of providing and testing novel radioisotopes for nuclear medical imaging and radionuclide therapy. Within a closely linked project at CERN, a dedicated electromagnetic mass separator system is presently under installation for production of innovative radiopharmaceutical isotopes at the new CERN-MEDICIS laboratory, directly adjacent to the existing CERN-ISOLDE radioactive ion beam facility. It is planned to implement a resonance ionization laser ion source (RILIS) to ensure high efficiency and unrivaled purity in the production of radioactive ions. To provide a highly efficient ionization process, identification and characterization of a specific multi-step laser ionization scheme for each individual element with isotopes of interest is required. The element lutetium is of primary relevance, and therefore was considered as first candidate. Three two-step excitation schemes for lutetium atoms are presented in this work, and spectroscopic results are compared with data of other authors. © 2017, Springer International Publishing Switzerland