LAUSR

Abstract We measure the branching ratios from the y 8 P 9 / 2 excited state to six metastable states of europium through fluorescence spectroscopy of an atomic beam. The sum of the six branching ratios is estimated to be 1.05 ( 2 ) × 10 − 3 . This research provides us with insightful information to determine the feasibility of using the a 8 S 7 / 2 − y 8 P 9 / 2 transition in order to implement the Zeeman slowing for europium atoms in the ground state. Based on this result, we also propose a scheme for Zeeman slowing and magneto-optical trapping, using a specific metastable state which has a cyclic transition.