AMO Physics in Parahydrogen

冻结在固体氢中的原子显示出良好的量子力学性质。例如，最近的研究表明，固体氢中的Rb原子具有使它们成为极其敏感的磁场传感器的特性。该项目的第一个目标是测量固态氢中的单个原子，以用作磁场传感器。如果成功，这种单原子的量子传感器可以用来测量复杂生物分子的结构，这将在生物化学和医学上有很大的实用价值。该项目的第二个目标是测量固态氢中分子的量子力学性质。如果某些分子表现出良好的性质，这些分子就可以用于精确的测量，从而提高对基础物理和标准模型的理解。在追求这些目标的过程中，该项目将进行测量，以帮助更好地了解固体氢原子和分子的物理。这个实验物理研究计划将测量固体仲氢中的原子和分子，主要有两个目标。首先，该项目将研究固体仲氢中碱金属原子的荧光特性，并开发光学寻址单原子的技术。在仲氢中的碱金属原子系综之前已经显示出很长的横向弛豫时间，所以光学寻址单个原子的能力将使它们能够用作磁场的量子传感器，并可能在纳米磁共振实验中应用。第二个实验目标是测量固体仲氢中极性分子系综核自旋的横向弛豫时间。这将阐明这种量子固体中分子的运动。此外，如果核自旋消相时间像预期的那样有利，它有可能导致重极性分子的基础物理测量(如寻找电偶极矩和相关的破坏时间的物理)的改进。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。

Atoms frozen in solid hydrogen exhibit promising quantum mechanical properties. For example, recent work has shown that rubidium atoms in solid hydrogen have properties that make them extremely sensitive magnetic field sensors. The first goal of this project is to measure a single atom inside solid hydrogen for use as a magnetic field sensor. If successful, this single-atom "quantum sensor" could be used to measure the structure of complex biomolecules, which would be of great utility for biochemistry and medicine. The second goal of this project is to measure the quantum mechanical properties of molecules inside solid hydrogen. If certain molecules exhibit favorable properties, these molecules could then be used for precision measurements leading to an improved understanding of fundamental physics and the Standard Model. In pursuing these goals, the project will make measurements that will help better understand the physics of atoms and molecules inside the "quantum solid" of solid hydrogen.This experimental physics research program will measure atoms and molecules in solid parahydrogen, with two main goals. First, the project will investigate the fluorescence properties of alkali-metal atoms in solid parahydrogen and develop techniques to optically address single atoms. Alkali-metal atom ensembles in parahydrogen have previously demonstrated long transverse relaxation times, so the ability to optically address single atoms will enable their use as quantum sensors for magnetic fields, with possible applications in nano-MRI experiments. The second experimental goal is to measure the transverse relaxation time of the nuclear spin of ensembles of polar molecules in solid parahydrogen. This will shed light on the motion of molecules in this quantum solid. Moreover, if the nuclear spin dephasing time is as favorable as expected, it has the potential to lead to improvements in fundamental physics measurements (such as the search for an electric dipole moment and related time-violating physics) with heavy polar molecules.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.