Development of a laser system of the laboratory AVLIS complex for producing isotopes and radionuclides

The use of atomic vapour laser isotope separation (AVLIS) for solving a number of urgent problems (formation of ¹⁷⁷Lu radionuclides for medical applications, ⁶³Ni radionuclides for betavoltaic power supplies and ¹⁵⁰Nd isotope for searching for neutrinoless double β decay and neutrino mass) is considered. An efficient threestep scheme of photoionisation of neodymium atoms through the 50474-cm^-1 autoionising state with radiation wavelengths of the corresponding stages of λ₁ = 6289.7 Å, λ₂ = 5609.4 Å and λ₃ = 5972.1 Å is developed. The average saturation intensity of the autoionising transition is ~6 W cm^-2, a value consistent with the characteristics of the previously developed photoionisation schemes for lutetium and nickel. A compact laser system for the technological AVLIS complex, designed to produce radionuclides and isotopes under laboratory conditions, is developed based on the experimental results.