Beam isotope separation could sift lighter elements

Isotopic enrichment may be commonly associated with nuclear weapons in the popular imagination, but in reality separating isotopes is vital to a plethora of applications from nuclear medicine to isotopic labelling in research chemistry. Isotopes are separated using a range of means, but they are often energy intensive or specific to one element – and usually need to be repeated several times to achieve the required isotopic purity. Now, US researchers claim an alternative solution could be more generally applicable to the light elements. Other researchers are sceptical, however.