Accelerating the development of novel clocks for measuring varying fundamental constants

加速开发用于测量不同基本常数的新型时钟

• 批准号: ST/W006197/1
• 负责人: Michael Tarbutt
• 金额: $ 22.86万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FW006197%2F1
• 关键词: Accelerating; development; novel; clocks; measuring

QSNET++ will accelerate the completion of (i) a clock based on highly-charged ions currently under construction in Birmingham and (ii) a clock based on ultracold molecules being developed at Imperial College. These two clocks will be part of the QSNET network that aims to measure the stability of fundamental constants in order to probe theories of dark matter and other physics beyond the standard model. The clock at Birmingham is based on highly-charged californium ions and is expected to have world-leading sensitivity to the fine-structure constant. To accelerate the development of this clock, we will build a setup for sympathetic cooling of the highly-charged ions. Singly-charged calcium ions will be cooled to low temperature by laser cooling, and they will then cool down the highly-charged ions through their Coulomb interactions. The clock at Imperial College is based on calcium monofluoride molecules trapped in an optical lattice formed by standing waves of laser light. It is expected to have world-leading sensitivity to the proton-to-electron mass ratio. We will develop an ultra-stable laser system to drive the clock transition in these molecules and then use it to study how accurate the clock can be.

QSNET++ 将加速完成 (i) 目前正在伯明翰建造的基于高电荷离子的时钟和 (ii) 帝国理工学院正在开发的基于超冷分子的时钟。这两个时钟将成为 QSNET 网络的一部分，该网络旨在测量基本常数的稳定性，以探索标准模型之外的暗物质和其他物理理论。伯明翰的时钟基于高电荷锎离子，预计对精细结构常数具有世界领先的灵敏度。为了加速该时钟的开发，我们将建立一个用于高电荷离子交感冷却的装置。单电荷钙离子将通过激光冷却被冷却至低温，然后它们将通过库仑相互作用冷却高电荷离子。帝国理工学院的时钟基于被困在由激光驻波形成的光学晶格中的一氟化钙分子。预计它对质子与电子质量比具有世界领先的灵敏度。我们将开发一种超稳定的激光系统来驱动这些分子中的时钟跃迁，然后用它来研究时钟的精确度。

项目成果

Measuring the stability of fundamental constants with a network of clocks

使用时钟网络测量基本常数的稳定性

• DOI: 10.1140/epjqt/s40507-022-00130-5
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: EPJ Quantum Technology
• 影响因子: 5.3
• 作者: Barontini G