Laser wavelength meter

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A laser wavelength meter is a device that can measure the frequency or wavelength of a laser to nearly 1 part in 108. We request funding to purchase a state-of-the-art wavelength meter, with nearly 100 times better accuracy than the devices currently available in our research group. ******The goal of our research program is to discover the limits of validity of our known physical laws, through precise frequency measurements on atoms and molecules. Our current research projects aim to (a) build compact and portable optical atomic clocks to study gravitational physics, (b) measure nuclear effects on atomic resonance frequencies, and (c) discover the origin of the universe's matter-antimatter imbalance. Each of these projects uses a specific atomic or molecular species: (a) calcium atoms and samarium ions, (b) neodymium ions, and (c) barium monofluoride molecules. Each of these species requires a respective set of lasers that are precisely tuned to their resonance frequencies. As a result, our research group currently operates more than a dozen different diode lasers at a range of different optical wavelengths. The frequency (or wavelength) of each of these devices needs to be carefully measured and constantly controlled. A precise and accurate wavemeter is therefore an indispenable tool that is urgently needed for our research program.******The requested wavelength meter will have an immediate positive impact on the research productivity of our team. It will allow the students and postdoc in our research group to advance their research projects, using the capability to precisely measure the resonance frequencies of the atoms and molecules used in our experiments. The wavelength meter will substantially improve the training capacity and exposure for Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in our group. The successful completion of our research projects will result in novel, compact atomic clocks, and shed light on physics beyond the Standard Model that might be responsible for dark matter and the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe. **