The neutron-rich isotopes of cadmium up to the N=82 shell closure have been
investigated by high-resolution laser spectroscopy. Deep-UV excitation at 214.5
nm and radioactive-beam bunching provided the required experimental
sensitivity. Long-lived isomers are observed in 127Cd and 129Cd for the first
time. One essential feature of the spherical shell model is unambiguously
confirmed by a linear increase of the 11/2- quadrupole moments. Remarkably,
this mechanism is found to act well beyond the h11/2 shell