PM: Doped Inert Single Crystals for Probing Beyond the Standard Model

粒子物理学的标准模型已经成功地通过了所有的实验室测试。尽管如此，它也被认为是不完整的。例如，它无法解释宇宙中物质与反物质的不对称性——而这一事实对我们的存在至关重要。要想发现更好的基础理论的线索，一个有希望且经济有效的途径是对被捕获的原子和分子进行桌面精确测量，寻找与标准模型预测的微小偏差。在这项工作中，研究人员将开发对惰性低温晶体中捕获的原子和分子进行精确测量的技术。这项工作对量子传感器和量子模拟器的发展也具有重要意义。从事这项工作的学生和博士后将培养实验室研究、科学交流以及一般项目规划和实施方面的技能。研究人员将生产出第一个适用于标准模型之外的物理搜索的掺杂晶体。将分子捕获在惰性晶体中，可以实现极高的密度和足够的隔离，从而有可能超越传统精密技术的数量级。这种巨大的潜在优势只有在掺杂剂保持其关键量子特性的情况下才能实现。关键特征已经被证明，但性能受到主体矩阵的多晶结构的限制，因为不同的局部构型导致不同的掺杂量子特性。由于未掺杂的惰性单晶以前已经生长到厘米大小的体积，大掺杂单晶也应该是可以实现的。研究人员将通过气相沉积技术首次展示大型惰性单晶的生长，这是一种与引入掺杂剂相一致的技术。他们将用x射线来表征这些大的掺杂单晶。最后，研究人员将首次展示填充大体积的高密度掺杂剂的良好量子特性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Standard Model of particle physics has been successful at passing all laboratory tests. Despite this fact, it is also known to be incomplete. For instance, it cannot explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe—a fact which is essential for our very existence. A promising and cost-effective avenue for discovering hints of a better underlying theory is to perform table-top precision measurements on trapped atoms and molecules, searching for tiny deviations from the Standard Model predictions. In this work, the researchers will develop techniques for precision measurements on atoms and molecules trapped within inert cryogenic crystals. This work could also have great significance for the development of quantum sensors and quantum simulators. Students and postdocs doing this work will develop skillsets in laboratory research, scientific communication, and general project planning and implementation.The researchers will produce the first doped cryocrystals suitable for searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. Trapping molecules in an inert crystal allows for both extremely high densities and sufficient isolation to potentially surpass the reach of traditional precision techniques by orders of magnitude. This huge potential advantage can only be realized if the dopants retain their critical quantum properties. Key features have been demonstrated, but with performance limited by the polycrystalline structure of the host matrices—because different local configurations lead to different dopant quantum properties. Since undoped inert single crystals have previously been grown up to centimeter-sized volumes, large doped single crystals should also be achievable. The researchers will demonstrate the first growth of large inert single crystals by vapor-deposition, a technique consistent with introducing dopants. They will characterize these large doped single crystals using X-rays. Finally, the researchers will make the first demonstration of good quantum properties of high-density dopants filling large volumes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.