Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus
MA 39: Poster Magnetism II
MA 39.25: Poster
Mittwoch, 11. März 2026, 18:00–21:00, P2
Thorium-229 as a Chiral Phonon Detector — •Martin Pimon1, Kjeld Beeks2, Thorsten Schumm2, and Andreas Grüneis1 — 1Institute of Theoretical Physics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria — 2Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
The thorium-229 isotope features an exceptionally low-energy nuclear metastable excited state 8.4 eV above the ground state. This property makes it a viable candidate for probing level splitting in nuclear sub-levels using modern high-precision laser spectroscopy methods.
Magnetic interactions play a significant role in this level splitting, highlighting the potential of thorium-229 as a novel atomic-sized detector for the magnetic moment of chiral phonons. Moreover, the electric field gradient from the surrounding crystal lattice introduces additional level splitting, providing insights into structural properties.
By incorporating thorium atoms into an ionic crystal, our proposed technique enables the direct observation of both magnetic and electric interactions from within the crystal itself. This approach leverages high sensitivity to phonon-related phenomena, presenting a promising avenue for detecting chiral phonons.
In this poster, we will review the contributions to nuclear level splitting and explore the challenges and benefits of utilizing the thorium-229 nucleus as a detector for chiral phonons.
Keywords: Solid-State Detectors; Phonons; Spectroscopy; Insulators; Point Defects