We demonstrate laser slowing of a hot thulium atomic beam using the nearly
closed cycling transition
4f136s2(2Fβ)(J=7/2)β4f12(3H5β)5d3/2β6s2(J=9/2)
at 410.6 nm. Atoms are decelerated to velocities around 25 m/s by a 40 cm
Zeeman slower. The flux of slowed atoms is evaluated as 107sβ1cmβ2. The experiment explicitly indicates the
possibility of trapping Tm atoms in a magneto-optical trap.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure