Laser isotope separation, or laser enrichment, is a technology of
isotope separation
Isotope separation is the process of concentrating specific isotopes of a chemical element by removing other isotopes. The use of the nuclides produced is varied. The largest variety is used in research (e.g. in chemistry where atoms of "marker" ...
using selective ionization of atoms or molecules by the means of precisely tuned
laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...
s.
The techniques are:
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Atomic vapor laser isotope separation
Atomic vapor laser isotope separation, or AVLIS, is a method by which specially tuned lasers are used to separate isotopes of uranium using selective ionization of hyperfine transitions. A similar technology, using molecules instead of atoms, is ...
(AVLIS), applied to atoms
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Molecular laser isotope separation
Molecular laser isotope separation (MLIS) is a method of isotope separation, where specially tuned lasers are used to separate isotopes of uranium using selective ionization of hyperfine transitions of uranium hexafluoride molecules. It is similar ...
(MLIS), applied to molecules
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Separation of isotopes by laser excitation (SILEX), a classified process involving uranium hexafluoride and a carrier gas.
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