Laser cooling of antihydrogen for fundamental symmetry tests with ALPHA at CERN

该RTI提案将直接和实质性地支持国际，欧洲核子研究中心，阿尔法（反氢激光物理装置）合作的研究计划。具体来说，它支持设备的激光器的激光冷却反氢的倡议。阿尔法是一个国际项目，其目标是测量和比较“反氢”的某些性质-中性反物质的最简单的原子形式-与普通氢的性质。阿尔法将直接测试和挑战关于物质和反物质之间的相似性和差异（“对称性”）的基本理论，这个问题可以说是物理学中最大的未解决问题之一。近年来，ALPHA在追求其主要目标方面取得了许多重大和引人注目的里程碑，包括：低温冷却技术的新应用（2010年），中性反物质的稳定（2010年）和长期（2011年）捕获，以及捕获反氢的原理微波研究（2012年）。 在实现了反氢捕获和第一个光谱学的里程碑之后，ALPHA目前正在进行重大升级。新设备（ALPHA-2）将提供激光进入被捕获的反氢，以及改善激光和微波光谱的磁场均匀性。ALPHA-Canada的激光组一直在开发用于1 s-2 p单光子光谱和反氢激光冷却的莱曼α激光系统。这个莱曼-阿尔法激光系统和新的光学通道在阿尔法-2陷阱将允许激光冷却反氢首次，这一直是一个梦想，为那些在该领域多年。该RTI赠款将提供关键设备，使反氢激光冷却到约20 mK可能在预定的光束时间在2014年底和2015年。RTI的目标包括在欧洲核子研究中心发展光学传输，以及在欧洲核子研究中心安装激光系统的自动化和稳定化。为了能够在2014年欧洲核子研究中心的反质子束开始工作之前安装莱曼-阿尔法激光系统，目前急需拟议中的设备。这些仪器将有助于实现在物质和反物质之间进行精确对称性测试的宏伟目标。ALPHA-Canada在这一领域拥有独特的专业知识。拟议的激光倡议将使加拿大物理学家能够从加拿大过去几年对ALPHA的开发和运作所作的重大投资中获得科学利益，这导致了我们最近的突破。

This RTI proposal will directly and substantively support the research program of the international, CERN-based, ALPHA (Antihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus) Collaboration. Specifically, it supports equipment for the Canadian-led laser initiative on laser cooling of antihydrogen. ALPHA is an international project whose goal is to measure and compare certain properties of 'antihydrogen' - the simplest atomic form of neutral antimatter - with those of ordinary hydrogen. ALPHA will directly test and challenge fundamental theories with regard to the similarities and differences ('symmetries') between matter and antimatter, an issue that is arguably one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics. In recent years, ALPHA has achieved many significant and high profile milestones in its pursuit of its primary goal, including: novel application of cryogenic cooling techniques (2010), stable (2010) and long term (2011) trapping of neutral antimatter, and proof of principle microwave studies of trapped antihydrogen (2012). Having achieved its milestones of antihydrogen trapping and the first spectroscopy, ALPHA is currently undergoing a major upgrade. The new apparatus (ALPHA-2) will provide laser access to trapped antihydrogen, as well as improved magnetic field homogeneity for laser and microwave spectroscopy. The laser group in ALPHA-Canada has been developing a Lyman-alpha laser system for 1s-2p one-photon spectroscopy and laser cooling of antihydrogen. This Lyman-alpha laser system and the new optical access in ALPHA-2 trap will allow laser cooling of antihydrogen for the first time, which has been a dream for those in the field for many years. This RTI grant will provide critical equipment to make laser cooling of antihydrogen to ~20 mK possible at scheduled beam times in late 2014 and 2015. The goals of this RTI proposal include development of optical transport at CERN and the automation and stabilization of the laser system to be installed at CERN. The proposed equipment is needed, immediately and urgently, to be able to install the Lyman-alpha laser system before the antiproton beam at CERN becomes active in 2014. These instruments will help make possible the ambitious goal of performing precision symmetry tests between matter and antimatter. ALPHA-Canada has unique expertise in this area. The proposed laser initiative will allow Canadian physicists to reap the scientific benefits of the significant investment Canada has made to the development and operation of ALPHA over the past several years, which has led to our recent breakthroughs.