Laser manipulation of Mossbauer transitions as a novel method of gamma-ray spectroscopy

Summary form only given. Recently, it was predicted that laser radiation can be used to manipulate very efficiently nuclear transitions at gamma-ray energies in solids. It results in both drastic qualitative and strong qualitative modifications of the Mossbauer spectra under the action of coherent optical radiation. The solid sample represents a host matrix where high densities of the ions are embedded by doping. The ions should possess both Mossbauer gamma-ray and optical electronic transitions favorable for the desired effects to be observed. Basically one needs Mossbauer-active ions with strong and sharp optical lines. The latter condition is typically satisfied for rare-earth and transition-metal ions in crystalline hosts and, remarkably, the majority of them are also Mossbauer-active.