Nuclear Shape Staggering in Very Neutron-Deficient Hg Isotopes Detected by Laser Spectroscopy

The isotope shifts of $^{188}\mathrm{Hg}$, $^{186}\mathrm{Hg}$, and $^{184}\mathrm{Hg}$ in the 2537-\AA{} line have been measured by use of tunable dye laser at the on-line mass separator ISOLDE at CERN. The results are $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\nu}(^{188}\mathrm{Hg}\ensuremath{-}^{204}\mathrm{Hg})=35.8(2)$ GHz; $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\nu}(^{186}\mathrm{Hg}\ensuremath{-}^{204}\mathrm{Hg})=39.4(2)$ GHz; and $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\nu}(^{184}\mathrm{Hg}\ensuremath{-}^{204}\mathrm{Hg})=43.1(2)$ GHz. These data combined with those obtained by $\ensuremath{\beta}$-radiation-detected optical pumping ($\ensuremath{\beta}$-RADOP) on the odd Hg isotopes yield a huge odd-even…