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Comparat D, Malbrunot C, Malbrunot-Ettenauer S, Widmann E, Yzombard P. Experimental perspectives on the matter-antimatter asymmetry puzzle: developments in electron EDM and [Formula: see text] experiments. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2024; 382:20230089. [PMID: 38104615 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2023.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
In the search for clues to the matter-antimatter puzzle, experiments with atoms or molecules play a particular role. These systems allow measurements with very high precision, as demonstrated by the unprecedented limits down to [Formula: see text] e cm on electron EDM using molecular ions, and relative measurements at the level of [Formula: see text] in spectroscopy of antihydrogen atoms. Building on these impressive measurements, new experimental directions offer potential for drastic improvements. We review here some of the new perspectives in those fields and their associated prospects for new physics searches. This article is part of the theme issue 'The particle-gravity frontier'.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Comparat
- Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, ENS Paris Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 505, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - C Malbrunot
- Physical Science Division, TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 2A3
- Department of Physics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3A 2T8
| | - S Malbrunot-Ettenauer
- Physical Science Division, TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 2A3
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A7
| | - E Widmann
- Stefan Meyer Institute for Subatomic Physics, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - P Yzombard
- Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, ENS-PSL Université, Collège de France, Paris 75252, France
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2
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Smorra C, Abbass F, Schweitzer D, Bohman M, Devine JD, Dutheil Y, Hobl A, Arndt B, Bauer BB, Devlin JA, Erlewein S, Fleck M, Jäger JI, Latacz BM, Micke P, Schiffelholz M, Umbrazunas G, Wiesinger M, Will C, Wursten E, Yildiz H, Blaum K, Matsuda Y, Mooser A, Ospelkaus C, Quint W, Soter A, Walz J, Yamazaki Y, Ulmer S. BASE-STEP: A transportable antiproton reservoir for fundamental interaction studies. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2023; 94:113201. [PMID: 37972020 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the world's only source of low-energy antiprotons is the AD/ELENA facility located at CERN. To date, all precision measurements on single antiprotons have been conducted at this facility and provide stringent tests of fundamental interactions and their symmetries. However, magnetic field fluctuations from the facility operation limit the precision of upcoming measurements. To overcome this limitation, we have designed the transportable antiproton trap system BASE-STEP to relocate antiprotons to laboratories with a calm magnetic environment. We anticipate that the transportable antiproton trap will facilitate enhanced tests of charge, parity, and time-reversal invariance with antiprotons and provide new experimental possibilities of using transported antiprotons and other accelerator-produced exotic ions. We present here the technical design of the transportable trap system. This includes the transportable superconducting magnet, the cryogenic inlay consisting of the trap stack and detection systems, and the differential pumping section to suppress the residual gas flow into the cryogenic trap chamber.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Smorra
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
| | - F Abbass
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - D Schweitzer
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - M Bohman
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - A Hobl
- Bilfinger Noell GmbH, Würzburg, Germany
| | - B Arndt
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - B B Bauer
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
| | - J A Devlin
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - S Erlewein
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - M Fleck
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
| | - J I Jäger
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - B M Latacz
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - P Micke
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - M Schiffelholz
- Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - G Umbrazunas
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- Eidgenössisch Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - M Wiesinger
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - C Will
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - E Wursten
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
- CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - H Yildiz
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - K Blaum
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Y Matsuda
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - A Mooser
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - C Ospelkaus
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
- Institut für Quantenoptik, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - W Quint
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - A Soter
- Eidgenössisch Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - J Walz
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
| | - Y Yamazaki
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
| | - S Ulmer
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany
- RIKEN, Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, Wako, Japan
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3
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Anderson EK, Baker CJ, Bertsche W, Bhatt NM, Bonomi G, Capra A, Carli I, Cesar CL, Charlton M, Christensen A, Collister R, Cridland Mathad A, Duque Quiceno D, Eriksson S, Evans A, Evetts N, Fabbri S, Fajans J, Ferwerda A, Friesen T, Fujiwara MC, Gill DR, Golino LM, Gomes Gonçalves MB, Grandemange P, Granum P, Hangst JS, Hayden ME, Hodgkinson D, Hunter ED, Isaac CA, Jimenez AJU, Johnson MA, Jones JM, Jones SA, Jonsell S, Khramov A, Madsen N, Martin L, Massacret N, Maxwell D, McKenna JTK, Menary S, Momose T, Mostamand M, Mullan PS, Nauta J, Olchanski K, Oliveira AN, Peszka J, Powell A, Rasmussen CØ, Robicheaux F, Sacramento RL, Sameed M, Sarid E, Schoonwater J, Silveira DM, Singh J, Smith G, So C, Stracka S, Stutter G, Tharp TD, Thompson KA, Thompson RI, Thorpe-Woods E, Torkzaban C, Urioni M, Woosaree P, Wurtele JS. Observation of the effect of gravity on the motion of antimatter. Nature 2023; 621:716-722. [PMID: 37758891 PMCID: PMC10533407 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06527-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Einstein's general theory of relativity from 19151 remains the most successful description of gravitation. From the 1919 solar eclipse2 to the observation of gravitational waves3, the theory has passed many crucial experimental tests. However, the evolving concepts of dark matter and dark energy illustrate that there is much to be learned about the gravitating content of the universe. Singularities in the general theory of relativity and the lack of a quantum theory of gravity suggest that our picture is incomplete. It is thus prudent to explore gravity in exotic physical systems. Antimatter was unknown to Einstein in 1915. Dirac's theory4 appeared in 1928; the positron was observed5 in 1932. There has since been much speculation about gravity and antimatter. The theoretical consensus is that any laboratory mass must be attracted6 by the Earth, although some authors have considered the cosmological consequences if antimatter should be repelled by matter7-10. In the general theory of relativity, the weak equivalence principle (WEP) requires that all masses react identically to gravity, independent of their internal structure. Here we show that antihydrogen atoms, released from magnetic confinement in the ALPHA-g apparatus, behave in a way consistent with gravitational attraction to the Earth. Repulsive 'antigravity' is ruled out in this case. This experiment paves the way for precision studies of the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration between anti-atoms and the Earth to test the WEP.
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Affiliation(s)
- E K Anderson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - C J Baker
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - W Bertsche
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, UK.
| | - N M Bhatt
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - G Bonomi
- University of Brescia, Brescia and INFN Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - A Capra
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - I Carli
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - C L Cesar
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Charlton
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - A Christensen
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - R Collister
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - A Cridland Mathad
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - D Duque Quiceno
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - S Eriksson
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - A Evans
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - N Evetts
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - S Fabbri
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Accelerator and Technology Sector, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - J Fajans
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - A Ferwerda
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T Friesen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - D R Gill
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - L M Golino
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - M B Gomes Gonçalves
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - P Granum
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - J S Hangst
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - M E Hayden
- Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - D Hodgkinson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - E D Hunter
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - C A Isaac
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - M A Johnson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, UK
| | - J M Jones
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - S A Jones
- Van Swinderen Institute for Particle Physics and Gravity, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - S Jonsell
- Department of Physics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Khramov
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - N Madsen
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - L Martin
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - D Maxwell
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - J T K McKenna
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - S Menary
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T Momose
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - M Mostamand
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - P S Mullan
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - J Nauta
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - A N Oliveira
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - J Peszka
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Powell
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - C Ø Rasmussen
- Experimental Physics Department, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - F Robicheaux
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - R L Sacramento
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Sameed
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Accelerator Systems Department, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - E Sarid
- Soreq NRC, Yavne, Israel
- Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - J Schoonwater
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - D M Silveira
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - J Singh
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - G Smith
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - C So
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - G Stutter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - T D Tharp
- Physics Department, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - K A Thompson
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - R I Thompson
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - E Thorpe-Woods
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - C Torkzaban
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - M Urioni
- University of Brescia, Brescia and INFN Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - P Woosaree
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - J S Wurtele
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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4
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Calculation of Low-Energy Positron-Atom Scattering with Square-Integrable Wavefunctions. ATOMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atoms10040097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The variational method is applied to the low-energy positron scattering and annihilation problem. The ultimate aim of the investigation is to find a computationally economical way of accounting for strong electron–positron correlations, including the effect of virtual positronium formation. The method is applied to the study of elastic s-wave positron scattering from a hydrogen atom. A generalized eigenvalue problem is set up and solved to obtain s-wave positron–hydrogen scattering phase shifts within 8×10−3 rad of accepted values. This is achieved using a small number of terms in the variational wavefunction; in particular, only nine terms that depend on the electron–positron distance are included. The annihilation parameter Zeff is also calculated and is found to be in good agreement with benchmark calculations.
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5
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Quack M, Seyfang G, Wichmann G. Perspectives on parity violation in chiral molecules: theory, spectroscopic experiment and biomolecular homochirality. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10598-10643. [PMID: 36320700 PMCID: PMC9491092 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01323a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The reflection (or ‘mirror’) symmetry of space is among the fundamental symmetries of physics. It is connected to the conservation law for the quantum number parity and a fundamental ‘non-observable’ property of space (as defined by an absolute ‘left-handed’ or ‘right-handed’ coordinate system). The discovery of the violation of this symmetry – the non-conservation of parity or ‘parity violation’ – in 1956/1957 had an important influence on the further development of physics. In chemistry the mirror symmetry of space is connected to the existence of enantiomers as isomers of chiral (‘handed’) molecules. These isomers would relate to each other as idealized left or right hand or as image and mirror image and would be energetically exactly equivalent with perfect space inversion symmetry. Parity violation results in an extremely small ‘parity violating’ energy difference between the ground states of the enantiomers which can be theoretically calculated to be about 100 aeV to 1 feV (equivalent to 10−11 to 10−10 J mol−1), depending on the molecule, but which has not yet been detected experimentally. Its detection remains one of the great challenges of current physical–chemical stereochemistry, with implications also for fundamental problems in physics. In biochemistry and molecular biology one finds a related fundamental question unanswered for more than 100 years: the evolution of ‘homochirality’, which is the practically exclusive preference of one chiral, enantiomeric form as building blocks in the biopolymers of all known forms of life (the l-amino acids in proteins and d-sugars in DNA, not the reverse d-amino acids or l-sugars). In astrobiology the spectroscopic detection of homochirality could be used as strong evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial life, if any. After a brief conceptual and historical introduction we review the development, current status, and progress along these three lines of research: theory, spectroscopic experiment and the outlook towards an understanding of the evolution of biomolecular homochirality. The reflection (or ‘mirror’) symmetry of space is among the fundamental symmetries of physics. It is connected to the conservation law for the quantum number purity and its violation and has a fundamental relation to stereochemistry and molecular chirality.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Quack
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Georg Seyfang
- Physical Chemistry, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Abstract
We show that two positrons can form a chemical bond between two otherwise repelling ions, similar to what happens to two hydrogen atoms forming a hydrogen molecule. Two positronium hydride atoms (PsH) can form the stable species (PsH)2 when the two coupled positrons have opposite spins, while they form an antibonding state if they have the same spin. This is completely analogous to the landmark description by Heitler and London [Z. Phys. 44, 455 (1927)] on the formation of a chemical bond in the hydrogen molecule coupling two electrons with opposite spins. This is the first time two positrons are shown to behave like two electrons in ordinary matter, enlarging the definition of what is a chemical bond dating back to Lewis [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 38, 762 (1916)]. We suggest a few experimental routes to form and detect such a peculiar molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Bressanini
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università dell'Insubria, Via Valleggio 9, I-22100 Como, Italy
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7
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Baker CJ, Bertsche W, Capra A, Carruth C, Cesar CL, Charlton M, Christensen A, Collister R, Mathad AC, Eriksson S, Evans A, Evetts N, Fajans J, Friesen T, Fujiwara MC, Gill DR, Grandemange P, Granum P, Hangst JS, Hardy WN, Hayden ME, Hodgkinson D, Hunter E, Isaac CA, Johnson MA, Jones JM, Jones SA, Jonsell S, Khramov A, Knapp P, Kurchaninov L, Madsen N, Maxwell D, McKenna JTK, Menary S, Michan JM, Momose T, Mullan PS, Munich JJ, Olchanski K, Olin A, Peszka J, Powell A, Pusa P, Rasmussen CØ, Robicheaux F, Sacramento RL, Sameed M, Sarid E, Silveira DM, Starko DM, So C, Stutter G, Tharp TD, Thibeault A, Thompson RI, van der Werf DP, Wurtele JS. Laser cooling of antihydrogen atoms. Nature 2021; 592:35-42. [PMID: 33790445 PMCID: PMC8012212 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03289-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The photon-the quantum excitation of the electromagnetic field-is massless but carries momentum. A photon can therefore exert a force on an object upon collision1. Slowing the translational motion of atoms and ions by application of such a force2,3, known as laser cooling, was first demonstrated 40 years ago4,5. It revolutionized atomic physics over the following decades6-8, and it is now a workhorse in many fields, including studies on quantum degenerate gases, quantum information, atomic clocks and tests of fundamental physics. However, this technique has not yet been applied to antimatter. Here we demonstrate laser cooling of antihydrogen9, the antimatter atom consisting of an antiproton and a positron. By exciting the 1S-2P transition in antihydrogen with pulsed, narrow-linewidth, Lyman-α laser radiation10,11, we Doppler-cool a sample of magnetically trapped antihydrogen. Although we apply laser cooling in only one dimension, the trap couples the longitudinal and transverse motions of the anti-atoms, leading to cooling in all three dimensions. We observe a reduction in the median transverse energy by more than an order of magnitude-with a substantial fraction of the anti-atoms attaining submicroelectronvolt transverse kinetic energies. We also report the observation of the laser-driven 1S-2S transition in samples of laser-cooled antihydrogen atoms. The observed spectral line is approximately four times narrower than that obtained without laser cooling. The demonstration of laser cooling and its immediate application has far-reaching implications for antimatter studies. A more localized, denser and colder sample of antihydrogen will drastically improve spectroscopic11-13 and gravitational14 studies of antihydrogen in ongoing experiments. Furthermore, the demonstrated ability to manipulate the motion of antimatter atoms by laser light will potentially provide ground-breaking opportunities for future experiments, such as anti-atomic fountains, anti-atom interferometry and the creation of antimatter molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Baker
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - W Bertsche
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, UK
| | - A Capra
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - C Carruth
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - C L Cesar
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Charlton
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - A Christensen
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - A Cridland Mathad
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - S Eriksson
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - A Evans
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - N Evetts
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J Fajans
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - T Friesen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - D R Gill
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - P Grandemange
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - P Granum
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - J S Hangst
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - W N Hardy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - M E Hayden
- Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - D Hodgkinson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - E Hunter
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - C A Isaac
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - M A Johnson
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, UK
| | - J M Jones
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - S A Jones
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - S Jonsell
- Department of Physics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A Khramov
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - P Knapp
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | - N Madsen
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - D Maxwell
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - J T K McKenna
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - S Menary
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - J M Michan
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - T Momose
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - P S Mullan
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - J J Munich
- Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - A Olin
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J Peszka
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - A Powell
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - P Pusa
- Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - C Ø Rasmussen
- Experimental Physics Department, CERN, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - F Robicheaux
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - R L Sacramento
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Sameed
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - E Sarid
- Soreq NRC, Yavne, Israel
- Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - D M Silveira
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - D M Starko
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - C So
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - G Stutter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - T D Tharp
- Physics Department, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - A Thibeault
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculté de Génie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - R I Thompson
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - D P van der Werf
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - J S Wurtele
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Abstract
Radiation is a process common to classical and quantum systems with very different effects in each regime. In a quantum system, the interaction of a bound electron with its own radiation field leads to complex shifts in the energy levels of the electron, with the real part of the shift corresponding to a shift in the energy level and the imaginary part to the width of the energy level. The most celebrated radiative shift is the Lamb shift between the 2 s 1 / 2 and the 2 p 1 / 2 levels of the hydrogen atom. The measurement of this shift in 1947 by Willis Lamb Jr. proved that the prediction by Dirac theory that the energy levels were degenerate was incorrect. Hans Bethe’s calculation of the shift showed how to deal with the divergences plaguing the existing theories and led to the understanding that interactions with the zero-point vacuum field, the lowest energy state of the quantized electromagnetic field, have measurable effects, not just resetting the zero of energy. This understanding led to the development of modern quantum electrodynamics (QED). This historical pedagogic paper explores the history of Bethe’s calculation and its significance. It explores radiative effects in classical and quantum systems from different perspectives, with the emphasis on understanding the fundamental physical phenomena. Illustrations are drawn from systems with central forces, the H atom, and the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator. A first-order QED calculation of the complex radiative shift for a spinless electron is explored using the equations of motion and the m a s s 2 operator, describing the fundamental phenomena involved, and relating the results to Feynman diagrams.
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9
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Fundamental symmetry tested using antihydrogen. Nature 2020; 578:369-370. [DOI: 10.1038/d41586-020-00384-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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10
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Quack M, Seyfang G, Wichmann G. Fundamental and approximate symmetries, parity violation and tunneling in chiral and achiral molecules. ADVANCES IN QUANTUM CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aiq.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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