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US 6,787,723 B2Granted
Method for laser induced isotope enrichment
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsPeter P. Pronko, Paul A. Vanrompay, Zhiyu Zhang
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Abstract
Methods for separating isotopes or chemical species of an element and causing enrichment of a desired isotope or chemical species of an element utilizing laser ablation plasmas to modify or fabricate a material containing such isotopes or chemical species are provided. This invention may be used for a wide variety of materials which contain elements having different isotopes or chemical species.
Claims28
A method for separating isotopes of an element comprising:
- a) directing a first laser pulse onto a surface of a target at a first energy fluence sufficient to generate a plasma comprising ionized isotopic species and to generate an internal electromagnetic scattering field causing spatial separation of said ionized isotopic species;
- b) after step a), allowing said plasma to expand to a density approximately equal to a critical density of said plasma;
- and c) after step b), directing a second laser pulse onto said plasma at a second energy fluence to further spatially separate said ionized isotopic species.
A method for separating isotopes of an element comprising:
- a) directing a laser pulse onto a surface of a target having a first isotopic distribution, at an energy fluence sufficient to generate a plasma comprising ionized isotopic species and to generate an internal electromagnetic scattering field causing spatial separation of said ionized isotopic species;
- and
- b) after step a), directing a plurality of sequentially time delayed pumping laser pulses onto said plasma to further spatially separate said ionized isotopic species;
- wherein the time delay between consecutive pumping laser pulses is sufficient to allow said plasma to expand to a density approximately equal to a critical density of said plasma.
1 more element
A method for separating isotopes of an element comprising:
- a) directing a laser beam of first laser pulses onto a surface of a target having a first isotopic distribution at a first energy fluence sufficient to generate an internal electromagnetic scattering field causing spatial separation of said ionized isotopic species;
- b) after step a), allowing a plasma of step a) plasma to expand to a density approximately equal to a critical density of said plasma;
- and
- c) after step b), directing one or more time delayed second laser pulses onto said plasma at a second energy fluence to further spatially separate said ionized isotopic species, the time delay between consecutive second laser pulses being sufficient to allow said plasma to expand to a density approximately equal to said critical density of said plasma.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.