Method for isotope separation by photodeflection

A method for separating a mixture of isotopes of the same element, one of said isotopes having the property that it will absorb light of a predetermined frequency and be raised thereby from an initial energy state to a primary excited state from which there is a significant probability of radiative decay to a metastable excited state and at least one other of said isotopes having the property that it will not absorb light of said predetermined frequency which comprises:

• a. forming a directed beam of vapor consisting essentially of atoms of said isotopes;
• b. irradiating the isotope beam with a primary directed beam of light of said predetermined frequency, the light absorbing atoms being thereby raised to said primary excited state from which a portion of the thus excited atoms radiatively decays into a metastable excited state and another portion of the thus excited atoms radiatively decays into the initial energy state;
• c. simultaneously with step (b), irradiating the light absorbing atoms with a secondary directed beam of light having a frequency substantially different from that of said primary beam and so selected as to cause depopulation of the metastable excited state, said light absorbing atoms being deflected toward a predetermined location as a result of said primary and said secondary irradiation steps;
• and
• d. collecting the deflected atoms at said predetermined location.