Laser isotope separation by multiple photon absorption

Patent · Tue Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5219692

Robinson, C P; Rockwood, S D; Jensen, R J; Lyman, J L; Aldridge, J P

Multiple photon absorption from an intense beam of infrared laser light may be used to induce selective chemical reactions in molecular species which result in isotope separation or enrichment. The molecular species must have a sufficient density of vibrational states in its vibrational manifold that, in the presence of sufficiently intense infrared laser light tuned to selectively excite only those molecules containing a particular isotope, multiple photon absorption can occur. By this technique, for example, intense CO/sub 2/ laser light may be used to highly enrich /sup 34/S in natural SF/sub 6/ and /sup 11/B in natural BCl/sub 3/.

• Assignee: Energy Research and Development Administration
• Patent Number(s): US 4049515
• OSTI ID: 5219692
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
070100* -- Physical Isotope Separation
ABSORPTION
BORON 11
BORON ISOTOPES
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FREQUENCY SELECTION
GAS LASERS
INFRARED RADIATION
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
LASERS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
RADIATIONS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFUR 34
SULFUR ISOTOPES