CAREER: Fundamental Physics Through Precision Measurements of Trapped Charged Particles

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This CAREER award will enable tests of fundamental physics through precise measurements of the properties of trapped charged particles. Many atoms, molecules, and sub-atomic particles have attributes that are of interest but impractical to measure using a particle in isolation. Often the isolated particle lacks suitable means for cooling or for preparing or detecting its quantum state. Techniques developed for trapped-ion quantum information processing have recently enabled the transfer of the practical tasks to a co-trapped atomic ion, using the interaction between two charged particles as an information bus and opening for investigation a wide range of charged particles. Experiments enabled by this award will focus on diatomic molecular ions, including the cooling of molecular rotation, the preparation of known internal states, and the precise determination of the energy differences between states. These measurements will be applied to searches for time-variation of the electron-to-proton mass ratio. While no known laws of physics allow for a change in this ratio, variation arises naturally in many theories seeking to merge quantum mechanics with gravity.This work will integrate research and education through the mentoring of undergraduates at the forefront of research while developing an innovative physics curriculum at a liberal arts college. Undergraduate students will be introduced to active questions in the field and the experimental techniques being used to answer them. Many skills in experimental physics are transferable to a wide array of future endeavors. In addition, this award will allow for the development, implementation, and dissemination of a revised physics curriculum at Amherst College.