Submit to Atoms Review for Atoms Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Atoms (ISSN 2218-2004).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 September 2023) | Viewed by 17472

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Jentschura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Physics, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA
Interests: quantum field theory and atomic systems; relativistic quantum dynamic processes in high-power laser fields; novel states of the light field (twisted photons); computational physics and related algorithms; renormalization group and critical phenomena; general relativity and relativistic quantum mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Alexander Kramida

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Atomic Spectroscopy Group, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Quantum Measurement Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-8422, USA
Interests: atomic spectroscopy—critical evaluation of experimental and theoretical data on energy structure and radiative transitions in atoms and atomic ions; atomic spectroscopy databases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atomic physics is presently the most precise science available to humankind. We all know that the time standard is presently defined by an atomic transition, which became possible as a result of high-precision measurements. Further improvement of experimental precision, which is now entangled with high-precision theory, may lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of fundamental principles of nature, e.g., answer the question of whether fundamental constants are really constant in time, provide insights into existence of hitherto undiscovered new forces, tackle the properties of dark matter, and shed light on the evolution of our Universe. Precise measurements may also open new avenues in technology and applied sciences, e.g., atomic clocks can be used in geodesy and improve precision of GPS, while precise measurements of some atomic systems may help to develop quantum computers.

This Special Issue will include original and review papers on high-precision atomic measurements and related theory with a focus on inter-science connections, prospects of new applications, and description of the most important problems in the way of improvement of precision. Aspects of nuclear, molecular and optical physics directly related to atomic physics may also be discussed in the submitted articles but should not be the main topic, which should be atomic physics.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich D. Jentschura
Dr. Alexander Kramida
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atoms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

atomic structure
frequency measurement
atomic clocks
nuclear clocks
transition rates
variation of fundamental constants
new forces of nature

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 1413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Charge-State Distributions after Beta Decay of ⁶He to Form ⁶Li⁺

by Aaron T. Bondy and Gordon W. F. Drake

Atoms 2023, 11(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms11030041 - 23 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1869

Abstract

The shake-off processes and charge-state fractions of

^{6}

^{+}

^{6}

^{+ +}

, and

^{6}

^{3 +}

were studied following the beta decay of

^{6}

He in the

1 s^{2}^{1} S_{0}

, [...] Read more.

The shake-off processes and charge-state fractions of

^{6}

^{+}

^{6}

^{+ +}

, and

^{6}

^{3 +}

were studied following the beta decay of

^{6}

He in the

1 s^{2}^{1} S_{0}

1 s 2 s^{1} S_{0}

, and

1 s 2 s^{3} S_{1}

initial states. The sudden approximation was used, together with fully correlated Hylleraas wave functions and pseudostates. A projection operator method was introduced to separate the charge-state fractions in the positive energy region of overlapping continua. The results show that

^{6}

^{+ +}

(single-ionisation) remains dominant, even in the energy range

E > 0

, where the formation of

^{6}

^{3 +}

(double-ionisation) is energetically allowed. The results reduce disagreements with the experiment for the fraction of

^{6}

^{3 +}

by nearly an order of magnitude, but substantial disagreements remain that are inconsistent with the sudden approximation widely used in other similar work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deep Laser Cooling of Thulium Atoms to Sub-µK Temperatures in Magneto-Optical Trap

by Daniil Provorchenko, Dmitry Tregubov, Denis Mishin, Mikhail Yaushev, Denis Kryuchkov, Vadim Sorokin, Ksenia Khabarova, Artem Golovizin and Nikolay Kolachevsky

Atoms 2023, 11(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms11020030 - 5 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2009

Abstract

Deep laser cooling of atoms, ions, and molecules facilitates the study of fundamental physics as well as applied research. In this work, we report on the narrow-line laser cooling of thulium atoms at the wavelength of

506.2 nm

with the natural linewidth of [...] Read more.

506.2 nm

with the natural linewidth of

7.8 kHz

, which widens the limits of atomic cloud parameters control. Temperatures of about

400 nK

, phase-space density of up to

3.5 \times 10^{- 4}

and

2 \times 10^{6}

number of trapped atoms were achieved. We have also demonstrated formation of double cloud structure in an optical lattice by adjusting parameters of the

506.2 nm

magneto-optical trap. These results can be used to improve experiments with BEC, atomic interferometers, and optical clocks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 588 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Implications of W-Boson Mass Anomaly for Atomic Parity Violation

by Hoang Bao Tran Tan and Andrei Derevianko

Atoms 2022, 10(4), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms10040149 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 1897

Abstract

We consider the implications of the recent measurement of the W-boson mass

M_{W} = 80,433.5 \pm 9.4 MeV / c^{2}

for atomic parity violation experiments. We show that the change in

M_{W}

shifts the Standard Model prediction for the

^{133}

[...] Read more.

We consider the implications of the recent measurement of the W-boson mass

M_{W} = 80,433.5 \pm 9.4 MeV / c^{2}

for atomic parity violation experiments. We show that the change in

M_{W}

shifts the Standard Model prediction for the

^{133}

Cs nuclear weak charge to

Q_{W} (^{133} Cs) = - 73.11 (1)

, i.e., by

8.5 σ

from its current value, and the proton weak charge by 2.7%. The shift in

Q_{W} (^{133} Cs)

ameliorates the tension between existing determinations of its value and motivates more accurate atomic theory calculations, while the shift in

Q_{W} (p)

inspires next-generation atomic parity violation experiments with hydrogen. Using our revised value for

Q_{W} (^{133} Cs)

, we also readjust constraints on parameters of physics beyond the Standard Model. Finally, we reexamine the running of the electroweak coupling for the new W boson mass. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On Photoeffect in the Few-Electron Atomic Systems

by Alexei M. Frolov

Atoms 2022, 10(4), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms10040126 - 1 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1273

Abstract

Closed analytical formulas are derived for the differential and total cross sections of the non-relativistic photoelectric effect in the three main classes of few-electron atomic systems: (a) neutral atoms and positively charged atomic ions which contain more than one bound electron, (b) negatively charged atomic ions, and (c) one-electron atoms and ions. Our procedure developed in this study is a combination of QED methods and results of the density functional theory obtained for atoms and ions. In all these systems the photoelectric effect is considered as photodetachment of the outer-most electron and our analysis is based on the results of density functional theory obtained for the electron density (radial) distribution in these atomic systems. Analytical formulas (similar to ours) for the differential and total cross sections of photoelectric effect for atomic systems from classes (a) and (b) contribute to our understanding of these systems and have not appeared in the literature, to the best of our knowledge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

13 pages, 1176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Polarizability of the ⁸⁵Rb 5D_3/2-State in 1064 nm Light

by Alisher Duspayev, Ryan Cardman and Georg Raithel

Atoms 2022, 10(4), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms10040117 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2238

Abstract

We report a measurement of the dynamic (ac) scalar polarizability of the

5 D_{3 / 2}

state in

^{85}

Rb atoms at a laser wavelength of 1064 nm. Contrary to a recent measurement in Phys. Rev. A 104, 063304 (2021), the experiments [...] Read more.

We report a measurement of the dynamic (ac) scalar polarizability of the

5 D_{3 / 2}

state in

^{85}

Rb atoms at a laser wavelength of 1064 nm. Contrary to a recent measurement in Phys. Rev. A 104, 063304 (2021), the experiments are performed in a low-intensity regime in which the ac shift is less than the

5 D_{3 / 2}

state’s hyperfine structure, as utilized in numerous experiments with cold, trapped atoms. The extracted ac polarizability is

α_{5 D_{3 / 2}} = - 499 \pm 59

a.u., within the uncertainty of the aforementioned previous result. The calibration of the 1064 nm light intensity, performed by analyzing light shifts of the D1 line, is the main source of uncertainty. Our results are useful for applications of the Rb

5 D_{3 / 2}

state in metrology, quantum sensing, and fundamental-physics research on Rydberg atoms and molecules. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Long-Range Interactions for Hydrogen Atoms in Excited D States

by Chandra M. Adhikari and Ulrich D. Jentschura

Atoms 2022, 10(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms10010006 - 5 Jan 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3590

Abstract

Pressure shifts inside an atomic beam are among the more theoretically challenging effects in high-precision measurements of atomic transitions. A crucial element in their theoretical analysis is the understanding of long-range interatomic interactions inside the beam. For excited reference states, the presence of quasi-degenerate states leads to additional challenges, due to the necessity to diagonalize large matrices in the quasi-degenerate hyperfine manifolds. Here, we focus on the interactions of hydrogen atoms in reference states composed of an excited

n D

state (atom A), and in the metastable

2 S

state (atom B). We devote special attention to the cases

n = 3

and

n = 8

. For

n = 3

, the main effect is generated by quasi-degenerate virtual P states from both atoms A and B and leads to experimentally relevant second-order long-range (van-der-Waals) interactions proportional to the sixth inverse power of the interatomic distance. For

n = 8

, in addition to virtual states with two states of P symmetry, one needs to take into account combined virtual P and F states from atoms A and B. The numerical value of the so-called

C_{6}

coefficients multiplying the interaction energy was found to grow with the principal quantum number of the reference D state; it was found to be of the order of

10^{11}

in atomic units. The result allows for the calculation of the pressure shift inside atomic beams while driving transitions to

n D

states. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 624 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Magic Wavelengths for 1S–nS and 2S–nS Transitions in Hydrogenlike Systems

by Chandra M. Adhikari, Jonathan C. Canales, Thusitha P. W. Arthanayaka and Ulrich D. Jentschura

Atoms 2022, 10(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms10010001 - 22 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3044

Abstract

We study the magic wavelength for two-photon

1 S

–

n S

transitions in a hydrogen and deuterium atom, as well as

2 S

–

n S

transitions, where the lower level is the metastable

2 S

state. At the magic wavelength, the [...] Read more.

We study the magic wavelength for two-photon

1 S

–

n S

transitions in a hydrogen and deuterium atom, as well as

2 S

–

n S

transitions, where the lower level is the metastable

2 S

state. At the magic wavelength, the dynamic Stark shifts of the ground and the excited state of the transition coincide, so that the transition frequency is independent of the intensity of the trapping laser field. Experimentally feasible magic wavelengths of transitions with small slopes in the atomic polarizabilities are determined; these are the most stable magic wavelengths against variations of the laser frequency. We provide data for the magic wavelengths for the

1 S

–

n S

and

2 S

–

n S

transitions in hydrogen and deuterium, with

n = 2, \dots, 8

. We also analyze the stability of the elimination of the ac Stark shift at the magic wavelength against tiny variations of the trapping laser frequency from the magic value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

The Fundamental Role of Precision Atomic-Physics Measurements in Modern Science

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI