Continuous-wave laser source at the 148 nm nuclear transition of Th-229

Abstract: A continuous-wave laser source at 148.4 nm based on second-harmonic generation in randomly quasi-phase matched strontium tetraborate, SrB4O7, is demonstrated. It provides (1.3-0.6+0.7) nW of VUV power in a single pass for an incident UV laser power of 325 mW. The laser system is developed for the resonant laser excitation of the 229Th nucleus to its low-energy isomeric state. For a frequency-stabilized laser system we expect to reach similar VUV power spectral densities as in previous pulsed laser excitation experiments of the nuclear transition in 229Th-doped crystals.