This book presents definitive laser excitation of the long-sought thorium-229 isomeric nuclear transition, a long sought after achievement which heralds a new era of nuclear quantum science. It includes many other noteworthy results and innovations which will open up new avenues of research: development of advanced VUV laser systems, cryogenic platforms, superconducting-nanowire detection techniques, and sophisticated statistical analysis methods rivaling those used in large-scale particle-physics collaborations. The author’s persistence across multiple challenging experimental campaigns, each requiring original engineering solutions and deep physical insight, ultimately enabled the breakthrough observation that earned him the APS Deborah Jin Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Atomic, Molecular, or Optical Physics.

Ricky Elwell is an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellow at University of California, Los Angeles. He received his B.Sc. in Physics and B.A. in Mathematics at the University of Virginia in 2018 and his Ph.D. in Experiment Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physis from University of California, Los Angeles in 2024. His research has focused on vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy of the ²²⁹Th isomeric transition. He is currently investigating the growth of host materials for the ²²⁹Th solid-state nuclear clock, as well as a platform for a continuous-wave VUV clock laser.