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

粒子物理的标准模型已经成功地通过了所有实验室测试。尽管如此，它也是众所周知的不完整的。例如，它不能解释物质--宇宙的反物质不对称性--这一事实对我们的存在至关重要。为了发现更好的潜在理论的线索，一个前景看好、成本效益高的方法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，研究人员将开发对捕获在惰性低温晶体中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发展实验室研究、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批适用于超越标准模型的物理搜索的掺杂晶体。在惰性晶体中捕获分子既允许极高的密度，又允许足够的隔离，潜在地超过了传统精密技术的数量级。这一巨大的潜在优势只有在掺杂剂保持其关键的量子性质的情况下才能实现。已经展示了主要特征，但性能受到宿主基质的多晶结构的限制-因为不同的局部配置导致不同的掺杂量子性质。由于未掺杂的惰性单晶以前已经生长到厘米大小的体积，因此也应该可以获得大的掺杂单晶。研究人员将演示首次通过气相沉积生长大型惰性单晶，这是一种与引入掺杂剂一致的技术。他们将使用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性质。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.