arXiv subjects

N. Kolachevsky

Publications and source records attributed to N. Kolachevsky.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Zeeman slowing of thulium atoms

We demonstrate laser slowing of a hot thulium atomic beam using the nearly closed cycling transition $4\textrm{f}^{13}6\textrm{s}^2(^2\textrm{F}^\circ)(J=7/2)\leftrightarrow4\textrm{f}^{12}(^3\textrm{H}_5)5\textrm{d}_{3/2}6\textrm{s}^2(J=9/2)$ at 410.6 nm. Atoms are decelerated to velocities around 25 m/s by a 40 cm Zeeman slower. The flux of slowed atoms is evaluated as $10^7 \textrm{s}^{-1}\textrm{cm}^{-2}$. The experiment explicitly indicates the possibility of trapping Tm atoms in a magneto-optical trap.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Testing the Stability of the Fine Structure Constant in the Laboratory

In this review we discuss the progress of the past decade in testing for a possible temporal variation of the fine structure constant $α$. Advances in atomic sample preparation, laser spectroscopy and optical frequency measurements led to rapid reduction of measurement uncertainties. Eventually laboratory tests became the most sensitive tool to detect a possible variation of $α$ at the present epoch. We explain the methods and technologies that helped make this possible.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2008

Sub-Hz line width diode lasers by stabilization to vibrationally and thermally compensated ULE Fabry-Perot cavities

We achieved a 0.5 Hz optical beat note line width with ~ 0.1 Hz/s frequency drift at 972 nm between two external cavity diode lasers independently stabilized to two vertically mounted Fabry-Perot (FP) reference cavities. Vertical FP reference cavities are suspended in mid-plane such that the influence of vertical vibrations to the mirror separation is significantly suppressed. This makes the setup virtually immune for vertical vibrations that are more difficult to isolate than the horizontal vibrations. To compensate for thermal drifts the FP spacers are made from Ultra-Low-Expansion (ULE) glass which possesses a zero linear expansion coefficient. A new design using Peltier elements in vacuum allows operation at an optimal temperature where the quadratic temperature expansion of the ULE could be eliminated as well. The measured linear drift of such ULE FP cavity of 63 mHz/s was due to material aging and the residual frequency fluctuations were less than 40 Hz during 16 hours of measurement. Some part of the temperature-caused drift is attributed to the thermal expansion of the mirror coatings. High-frequency thermal fluctuations that cause vibrations of the mirror surfaces limit the stability of a well designed reference cavity. By comparing two similar laser systems we obtain an Allan instability of 2*10-15 between 0.1 and 10 s averaging time, which is close to the theoretical thermal noise limit.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2007

Blue laser cooling transitions in Tm I

We have studied possible candidates for laser cooling transitions in $^{169}$Tm in the spectral region 410 -- 420 nm. By means of saturation absorption spectroscopy we have measured the hyperfine structure and rates of two nearly closed cycling transitions from the ground state $4\textrm{f}^{13}6\textrm{s}^2(^2\textrm{F}_0)(J_g=7/2)$ to upper states $4\textrm{f}^{12}(^3\textrm{H}_5)5\textrm{d}_{3/2}6\textrm{s}^2(J_e=9/2)$ at 410.6 nm and $4\textrm{f}^{12}(^3\textrm{F}_4)5\textrm{d}_{5/2}6\textrm{s}^2(J_e=9/2)$ at 420.4 nm and evaluated the life times of the excited levels as 15.9(8) ns and 48(6) ns respectively. Decay rates from these levels to neighboring opposite-parity levels are evaluated by means of Hartree-Fock calculations. We conclude, that the strong transition at 410.6 nm has an optical leak rate of less then $2\cdot10^{-5}$ and can be used for efficient laser cooling of $^{169}$Tm from a thermal atomic beam. The hyperfine structure of two other even-parity levels which can be excited from the ground state at 409.5 nm and 418.9 nm is also measured by the same technique. In addition we give a calculated value of $7(2)$ s$^{-1}$ for the rate of magnetic-dipole transition at 1.14 $μ$m between the fine structure levels $(J_g=7/2)\leftrightarrow(J'_g=5/2)$ of the ground state which can be considered as a candidate for applications in atomic clocks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2006

Photoionization Broadening of the 1S-2S Transition in a Beam of Atomic Hydrogen

We consider the excitation dynamics of the two-photon \sts transition in a beam of atomic hydrogen by 243 nm laser radiation. Specifically, we study the impact of ionization damping on the transition line shape, caused by the possibility of ionization of the 2S level by the same laser field. Using a Monte-Carlo simulation, we calculate the line shape of the \sts transition for the experimental geometry used in the two latest absolute frequency measurements (M. Niering {\it et al.}, PRL 84, 5496 (2000) and M. Fischer {\it et al.}, PRL 92, 230802 (2004)). The calculated line shift and line width are in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed values. From this comparison we can verify the values of the dynamic Stark shift coefficient for the \sts transition for the first time on a level of 15%. We show that the ionization modifies the velocity distribution of the metastable atoms, the line shape of the \sts transition, and has an influence on the derivation of its absolute frequency.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2006

Precision study of hyperfine structure in simple atoms

We consider the most accurate tests of bound state QED theory of the hyperfine splitting in two-body atoms related to the HFS interval of the 1s state in muonium and positronium and the 2s state in hydrogen, deuterium and the helium-3 ion. We summarize their QED theory and pay special attention to involved effects of strong interactions and to recent optical measurements of the 2s HFS interval in hydrogen and deuterium. We present results for specific ratios of the 1s-2s frequencies in hydrogen and deuterium which happen to be among the most accurately measured and calculated quantities.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2005

Compact solid-state laser source for 1S-2S spectroscopy in atomic hydrogen

We demonstrate a novel compact solid-state laser source for high-resolution two-photon spectroscopy of the $1S-2S$ transition in atomic hydrogen. The source emits up to 20 mW at 243 nm and consists of a 972 nm diode laser, a tapered amplifier, and two doubling stages. The diode laser is actively stabilized to a high-finesse cavity. We compare the new source to the stable 486 nm dye laser used in previous experiments and record 1S-2S spectra using both systems. With the solid-state laser system we demonstrate a resolution of the hydrogen spectrometer of 6 \times 10^{11} which is promising for a number of high-precision measurements in hydrogen-like systems.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2004

New Limits to the Drift of Fundamental Constants from Laboratory Measurements

We have remeasured the absolute $1S$-$2S$ transition frequency $ν_{\rm {H}}$ in atomic hydrogen. A comparison with the result of the previous measurement performed in 1999 sets a limit of $(-29\pm 57)$ Hz for the drift of $ν_{\rm {H}}$ with respect to the ground state hyperfine splitting $ν_{\rm {Cs}}$ in $^{133}$Cs. Combining this result with the recently published optical transition frequency in $^{199}$Hg$^+$ against $ν_{\rm {Cs}}$ and a microwave $^{87}$Rb and $^{133}$Cs clock comparison, we deduce separate limits on $\dotα/α= (-0.9\pm 2.9)\times 10^{-15}$ yr$^{-1}$ and the fractional time variation of the ratio of Rb and Cs nuclear magnetic moments $μ_{\rm {Rb}}/μ_{\rm {Cs}}$ equal to $(-0.5 \pm 1.7)\times 10^{-15}$ yr$^{-1}$. The latter provides information on the temporal behavior of the constant of strong interaction.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2004

2S hyperfine structure of atomic deuterium

We have measured the frequency splitting between the $(2S, F=1/2)$ and $(2S, F=3/2)$ hyperfine sublevels in atomic deuterium by an optical differential method based on two-photon Doppler-free spectroscopy on a cold atomic beam. The result $f_{\rm HFS}^{(D)}(2S)= 40 924 454(7)$ Hz is the most precise value for this interval to date. In comparison to the previous radio-frequency measurement we have improved the accuracy by the factor of three. The specific combination of hyperfine frequency intervals for metastable- and ground states in deuterium atom $D_{21}=8f_{\rm HFS}^{(D)}(2S)-f_{\rm HFS}^{(D)}(1S)$ derived from our measurement is in a good agreement with $D_{21}$ calculated from quantum-electrodynamics theory.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2003

Astrophysical constraints on hypothetical variability of fundamental constants

(Abridged) Many-multiplet (MM) method applied to three inhomogeneous samples of Keck/HIRES quasar absorption spectra gives a shift in the value of the fine-structure constant of Delta alpha/alpha = (-5.4+/-1.2) 10^{-6} in the redshift range 0.2 < z < 3.7 (Murphy et al. 2003).The 1sigma error is, however, much too small and cannot be maintained by current observations of quasars. We present a modified MM method to set an upper limit on Delta alpha/alpha from a homogeneous sample of FeII lines identified in the up-to-date best quality VLT/UVES spectrum of HE 0515-4414. Our result is Delta alpha/alpha = (1.1+/-1.1) 10^{-5} at z = 1.149. Theoretical models of the fundamental physical interactions predict that the proton-to-electron mass ratio (mu = m_p/m_e) may relate to the shift in Delta alpha/alpha as Delta mu/mu = R Delta alpha/alpha. We use VLT/UVES high-resolution observations of molecular hydrogen H2 ultraviolet absorption lines at z = 3.025 toward Q 0347-3818 to bound the value of R. The obtained constraints on Delta ln mu = (2.1+/-3.6) 10^{-5} and on Delta ln alpha = (1.1+/-1.1) 10^{-5} rule out vary large values of |R| > 6.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

High-Precision Optical Measurement of the 2S Hyperfine Interval in Atomic Hydrogen

We have applied an optical method to the measurement of the 2S hyperfine interval in atomic hydrogen. The interval has been measured by means of two-photon spectroscopy of the 1S-2S transition on a hydrogen atomic beam shielded from external magnetic fields. The measured value of the 2S hyperfine interval is equal to 177 556 860(15) Hz and represents the most precise measurement of this interval to date. The theoretical evaluation of the specific combination of 1S and 2S hyperfine intervals D_21 is in moderately good agreement with the value for D_21 deduced from our measurement.

physics.atom-ph↗