Development of a helium cryostat for laser spectroscopy of atoms with unstable nuclei in superfluid helium

We are developing a new nuclear laser spectroscopic technique for the study of nuclear structure that can be applied to short-lived low-yield atoms with unstable nuclei. The method utilizes superfluid helium (He II) as a trapping medium for high-energy ion beams. A liquid helium cryostat with optical windows is a key apparatus for this type of experiment. We describe the design and the performance of the cryostat which is developed for the present project.