Ionic, Atomic and Molecular Physics

本研究计划强调精度测量的两个不同方面。首先，原子干涉测量法将用于确定原子和分子的性质，如极性，并研究基本的量子现象，如Aharonov-Casher相和Berry相。同时，原子干涉测量法在惯性传感中的潜在应用也将被探讨，由于其灵敏度的提高，它有可能取代激光陀螺仪。第二部分将进一步发展一种超精密质量测量的新方法。该技术将利用在一个陷阱中同时测定两个离子的回旋加速器频率，以消除与磁场测定相关的质量测量中的误差。这两个领域的研究结果都具有超越AMO物理狭隘领域的意义。对铯极精确的极化率测量将检查原子结构计算所需的分析原子宇称破坏的测量；对3H和3He之间质量差的极其精确的测量可以帮助确定中微子的质量界限。

This research program emphasizes two different aspects of precision measurements. In the first the approach of atom interferometry will be used to determine atomic and molecular properties such as polarizabilities and to study fundamental quantum phenomena such as Aharonov-Casher and Berry's phases. Simultaneously, the potential use of atom interferometry in inertial sensing will be explored, where there exists the possibility, because of its enhanced sensitivity, that it could replace the laser gyroscope. In the second a new approach to ultra-precision mass measurements will be further developed. This technique will exploit the simultaneous determination of the cyclotron frequency of two ions in a trap in order to remove errors in the mass measurements associated with magnetic field determinations. Results of the research in both areas have implications beyond the narrow area of AMO physics. Extremely precise polarizability measurements for cesium will check atomic structure calculations required for analyzing measurements of parity violation in the atom; extremely precise measurements of the mass difference between 3H and 3He could help place bounds on the mass of the neutrino.