The TRIUMF Resonant Ionization Laser Ion Source (TRILIS) is targeted to be operational in the ISAC radioactive beam facility by the fall of 2004. Element selective ionization is achieved by 2 or 3 step resonant laser excitation of the valence electron into an autoionizing atomic state.
TRILIS will augment the capabilities of ISAC's surface and electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources by providing access to additional elements. TRILIS will be particularly interesting to experimenters who require beams with low isobaric contamination which can be achieved through the element selectivity of resonant laser ionization.
State-of-the-art laser technology will be used at TRILIS i.e. diode-pumped solid state lasers pumping several narrow line-width high repetition-rate, tuneable titanium sapphire lasers. This new generation of lasers operates in the red to infrared wavelength region, differing some to conventional copper vapor laser pumped dye lasers, but has distinct operational and system maintenance advantages. Efficient resonant laser ionization schemes must be developed for each element individually. The leading group in resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) from Mainz University, led by Dr. Klaus Wendt, has entered into a formal collaboration with TRIUMF. Thus the expertise in resonance laser ionization and on-line target sources is combined for the development of new radioactive beams at TRIUMF.