Magic wavelengths for the 2 3 S→2 1 S transition in helium

We have calculated ac polarizabilities of the 23S and 21S states of both He4 and He3 in the range 318 nm to 2.5 μm and determined the magic wavelengths at which these polarizabilities are equal for either isotope. The calculations, only based on available ab initio tables of level energies and Einstein A coefficients, do not require advanced theoretical techniques. The polarizability contribution of the continuum is calculated using a simple extrapolation beyond the ionization limit, yet the results agree to better than 1% with such advanced techniques. Several promising magic wavelengths are identified around 320 nm with sufficient accuracy to design an appropriate laser system. The extension of the calculations to He3 is complicated due to the additional hyperfine structure, but we show that the magic wavelength candidates around 320 nm are predominantly shifted by the isotope shift.