Oxygen-17 enrichment by Ne II ion laser photopredissociation of formaldehyde

High-resolution coincidence absorption spectroscopy of formaldehyde enriched in the rare isotope oxygen-17 was performed to search for coincidences with uv ion laser transitions in the noble gases. This technique has previously proved successful in proof-of-principle laser separation of deuterium.1 The existence of a fortuitous coincidence with an ion laser would greatly simplify the proof of applicability of formaldehyde photopredissociation as a means to enrichment of oxygen-17.