Precision measurements using atoms and molecules

使用原子和分子进行精确测量

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-06447
• 负责人: Vutha, Amar
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=667913
• 关键词: Precision; measurements; using; atoms; molecules

Humankind has observed the sky for centuries, but an entire universe of phenomena is invisible to our electromagnetic eyes and telescopes. Every massive object in the universe radiates gravitational waves, which can carry information to us from the far corners of the universe. Yet, this gravitational universe remains hidden from view, and awaits the development of instruments precise enough to detect the feeble spacetime fluctuations caused by gravitational waves. The proposed research program aims to construct precise atomic tools to enable the development of gravitational wave telescopes and other precision instruments. ******Atoms and molecules are the most precise physical tools available to us. Their quantum states can be exquisitely controlled, which allows them to be used as oscillators with extremely regular frequencies – such atomic frequency references are electromagnetic “tuning forks”. Just as a humble set of tuning forks is vital to the performance of a complex orchestral symphony, electromagnetic frequency references are essential for the performance of many modern technological tasks, including communication, radio ranging and navigation. These stable oscillators provide sets of evenly spaced ticks, which can also be used to measure the distortions of spacetime caused by passing gravitational waves. Our research program aims to construct novel frequency references that are robust and portable, and can be used as the building blocks of precision instruments. The frequency references developed in this research program will provide stable markers at optical and terahertz frequencies, which can be used for improved time-keeping, accurate satellite ranging, and in the next generation of communications technologies. The research program will train undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs for leadership positions in the high-technology industry, where they will be able to leverage their experience with precision measurements.******To gravitationally observe the most distant objects in the universe, ever more precise atomic frequency references are needed. The path to improved precision is through the use of quantum entanglement, where an entire ensemble of thousands of atoms can behave as one correlated quantum system. Measurements with improved precision can be made using such entangled ensembles, without the noise that arises from uncorrelated fluctuations of individual atoms and molecules. Our long-term goal is to investigate the use of quantum entanglement to build atomic and molecular frequency references with enhanced performance. This will also open up ways to use atoms and molecules for stringent tests of fundamental physical theories such as quantum electrodynamics, probing for cracks in the structure of these theories that would signal the onset of new and unknown physics.

几个世纪以来，人类一直在观察天空，但整个宇宙的现象是我们的电磁眼和望远镜看不见的。宇宙中每一个大质量物体都会发射引力波，引力波可以把宇宙遥远角落的信息带给我们。然而，这个引力宇宙仍然隐藏在人们的视野之外，等待着足够精确的仪器的发展，以探测由引力波引起的微弱时空波动。拟议的研究计划旨在构建精确的原子工具，以使引力波望远镜和其他精密仪器的发展成为可能。******原子和分子是我们所能获得的最精确的物理工具。它们的量子态可以被精确地控制，这使得它们可以被用作频率极其规则的振荡器——这种原子频率参考是电磁“音叉”。就像一套简陋的音叉对一首复杂的管弦乐的演奏至关重要一样，电磁频率参考对许多现代技术任务的执行至关重要，包括通信、无线电测距和导航。这些稳定的振子提供了一组均匀间隔的刻度，这些刻度也可以用来测量由引力波通过引起的时空扭曲。我们的研究计划旨在构建新颖的频率参考，坚固耐用，便携，可作为精密仪器的基石。在该研究项目中开发的频率参考将在光学和太赫兹频率上提供稳定的标记，可用于改进计时、精确卫星测距和下一代通信技术。该研究项目将培养本科生、研究生和博士后在高科技行业担任领导职务，在那里他们将能够利用他们在精密测量方面的经验。******要用引力观察宇宙中最遥远的物体，需要更精确的原子频率参考。提高精度的途径是通过使用量子纠缠，在量子纠缠中，数千个原子的整体可以表现为一个相关的量子系统。使用这样的纠缠系综可以进行精度更高的测量，而不会产生由单个原子和分子的不相关波动产生的噪声。我们的长期目标是研究使用量子纠缠来建立具有增强性能的原子和分子频率参考。这也将开辟使用原子和分子对基本物理理论（如量子电动力学）进行严格测试的途径，探测这些理论结构中的裂缝，这些裂缝将标志着新的未知物理学的开始。