Atomic parity violation in a single trapped radium ion

Abstract

Atomic parity violation (APV) experiments are sensitive probes of the electroweak interaction at low energy. These experiments are competitive with and complementary to high-energy collider experiments. The APV signal is strongly enhanced in heavy atoms and it is measurable by exciting suppressed (M1, E2) transitions. The status of APV experiments and theory are reviewed as well as the prospects of an APV experiment using one single trapped Ra + ion. The predicted enhancement factor of the APV effect in Ra + is about 50 times larger than in Cs atoms. However, certain spectroscopic information on Ra + needed to constrain the required atomic many-body theory, was lacking. Using the AGOR cyclotron and the TRIμP facility at KVI in Groningen, short-lived 212−214 Ra + ions were produced and trapped. First ever excited-state laser spectroscopy was performed on the trapped ions. These measurements provide a benchmark for the atomic theory required to extract the electroweak mixing angle to sub-1% accuracy and are an important step towards an APV experiment in a single trapped Ra + ion.

Precision Measurement Method for Branching Fractions of ExcitedP1/2States Applied toCa+40Ramm1, Pruttivarasin2, Kokish3 et al. 2013Phys. Rev. Lett.485650View full textAdd to dashboardCite

“…In Sc ++ and Sr + , experimental measurements have yet to be done to verify theoretical calculations [23][24][25]. Heavier ions like Ba + , Yb + and Ra + are especially interesting in precision spectroscopy due to their prospects of observing parity non-conservation effects [7][8][9]26], which can be investigated by measuring various branching fractions and lifetimes of different atomic levels. Hg + , where no study of the branching fractions have been done, also has a suitable level structure [27].…”

“…Knowledge of these atomic properties is especially important for studying spectra of radiation from stars and other galactic objects [5,6]. Furthermore, precise measurement of atomic lifetimes and branching fractions can also be used to probe effects of weak interactions such as parity non-conservation of atomic levels [7][8][9][10].…”

Probing new spin-independent interactions through precision spectroscopy in atoms with few electrons

“…Higher-order effects of nuclear charge radius and finite magnetic radius are not resolvable by the current experimental accuracy [21,30] and are therefore omitted in Eqs. ( 4) and (5).…”

“…Precise atomic physics table-top experiments are promising in this regard. For example, observables which violate discrete symmetries of QED, as in parity-violating transitions [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8], are a powerful tool to probe NP [9].…”

Constraining new physics models with isotope shift spectroscopy

“…Refs. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]), Lorentz symmetry [21,22] and even the time variation of fundamental constants of nature [23,24].…”