arXiv subjects

Wolfgang Korsch

Publications and source records attributed to Wolfgang Korsch.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Technical Proposal for the Atom Interferometer CERN Experiment (AICE) Facility

We present the technical proposal for the Atom Interferometer CERN Experiment (AICE), a $\mathcal{O}(100)$ m vertical atom interferometer to be installed against the wall of the PX46 access shaft to the LHC. AICE is conceived as a versatile and flexible long-baseline atom-interferometry facility whose primary scientific goal is probing for bosonic ultralight dark matter (ULDM) in a mass range inaccessible to other experiments, with a secondary goal of pioneering the exploration of gravitational waves (GWs) with frequencies in the range ${\sim}$0.03-3 Hz as a pathfinder for future longer-baseline detectors. The initial configuration employs ultracold $^{87}$Sr atoms in a single-photon 698-nm interferometer with three shaft-based atom sources in a multi-source gradiometer geometry, supported by one surface reference source for laser stabilisation and diagnostics, to target scalar ULDM. Operation with $^{88}$Sr will give sensitivity to axion-like particles (ALPs), vector ULDM with $B-L$ couplings and violation of the principle of equivalence, while a $^{171}$Yb upgrade will improve the sensitivity to $B-L$ couplings and equivalence violations. Probing the Einstein equivalence principle (EP) and measuring $α$ will proceed in parallel with the ULDM searches. A conceptual feasibility study and a detailed technical implementation study have established that PX46 is a uniquely mature and implementation-ready site, with no technical showstoppers. Completing site preparation works during LS3 would enable the subsequent installation and operation of AICE without impacting HL-LHC operations. The detector design builds on the VLBAI and MAGIS experiments and the AION-10 Technical Design Report, scaling the strontium gradiometer architecture to the $\sim$100 m baseline. AICE is endorsed by the TVLBAI Proto-Collaboration, comprising 57 institutions in 22 countries.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2026

Binding Energies of Charged Particles on Dielectric Surfaces in Liquid Nitrogen

A new approach for determining the binding energies of charged particles, such as ions and electrons, on dielectric surfaces in cryogenic liquids is introduced. The experimental technique outlined in this paper is employed to observe the buildup of charged particles on nonconductive surfaces using the electro-optic Kerr effect. The initial results of binding energy measurements on surfaces of deuterated tetraphenyl butadiene (dTPB)-coated and uncoated polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in liquid nitrogen are presented. Under these conditions, the ions or electrons displayed binding energies of less than 1 meV. Although these findings were obtained in liquid nitrogen, the methodology is not limited to cryogenic liquids and is applicable to a wide variety of fluids, with no essential dependence on temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Realizing the Scientific Program with Polarized Ion Beams at EIC

Polarized ion beams at the Electron Ion Collider are essential to address some of the most important open questions at the twenty-first century frontiers of understanding of the fundamental structure of matter. Here, we summarize the science case and identify polarized $^2$H, $^3$He, $^6$Li and $^7$Li ion beams as critical technology that will enable experiments which address the most important science. Further, we discuss the required ion polarimetry and spin manipulation in EIC. The current EIC accelerator design is presented. We identify a significant R\&D effort involving both national laboratories and universities that is required over about a decade to realize the polarized ion beams and estimate (based on previous experience) that it will require about 20 FTE over 10 years (or a total of about 200 FTE-years) of personnel, including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, technicians and engineers. Attracting, educating and training a new generation of physicists in experimental spin techniques will be essential for successful realization. AI/ML is seen as having significant potential for both acceleration of R\&D and amplification of discovery in optimal realization of this unique quantum technology on a cutting-edge collider. The R\&D effort is synergistic with research in atomic physics and fusion energy science.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2023

Electric Charging Effects on Insulating Surfaces in Cryogenic Liquids

This paper presents a new technique to study the adsorption and desorption of ions and electrons on insulating surfaces in the presence of strong electric fields in cryoliquids. The experimental design consists of a compact cryostat coupled with a sensitive electro-optical Kerr device to monitor the stability of the electric fields. The behavior of nitrogen and helium ions on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) surface was compared to a PMMA surface coated with a mixture of deuterated polystyrene and deuterated polybutadiene. Ion accumulation and removal on these surfaces were unambiguously observed. Within the precision of the data, both surfaces behave similarly for the physisorbed ions. The setup was also used to measure the (quasi-)static dielectric constant of PMMA at T = 70 K. The impact of the ion adsorption on the search for a neutron permanent electric dipole moment in a cryogenic environment, like the nEDM@SNS experiment, is discussed.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2022

Electric dipole moments and the search for new physics

Static electric dipole moments of nondegenerate systems probe mass scales for physics beyond the Standard Model well beyond those reached directly at high energy colliders. Discrimination between different physics models, however, requires complementary searches in atomic-molecular-and-optical, nuclear and particle physics. In this report, we discuss the current status and prospects in the near future for a compelling suite of such experiments, along with developments needed in the encompassing theoretical framework.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

LC Circuits for the Direct Detection of Ultralight Dark Matter Candidates

Cosmological mechanisms that yield ultralight dark matter are insensitive to the intrinsic parity of a bosonic dark matter candidate, but that same quantity plays a crucial role in a direct detection experiment. The modification of electrodynamics in the presence of ultralight axion-like dark matter is well-known and has been used to realize sensitive probes of such sub-eV mass-scale dark matter, and analogous studies exist for hidden-photon dark matter as well. Here we reframe the modification of electrodynamics for ultralight dark matter of positive intrinsic parity, with a focus on the scalar case. In particular, we show that resonant LC circuit searches for axions can be modified to detect scalar dark matter particles by exploiting the large electric fields developed for use in neutron EDM experiments. Our proposed experimental set-up can improve upon previous sensitive searches for scalar particles from "light shining through a wall" experiments to probe scalar-photon couplings some three orders of magnitude smaller in the $1\times 10^{-11} - \,4\times 10^{-8}$ eV mass ($2\, {\rm kHz} - 10\,{ \rm MHz}$ frequency) range.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Limits on Magnetically Induced Faraday Rotation from Polarized $^3$He Atoms

Faraday rotation has become a powerful tool in a large variety of physics applications. Most prominently, Faraday rotation can be used in precision magnetometry. Here we report the first measurements of gyromagnetic Faraday rotation on a dense, hyperpolarized $^3$He gas target. Theoretical calculations predict the rotations of linearly polarized light due to the magnetization of spin-1/2 particles are on the scale of 10$^{-7}$ radians. To maximize the signal, a $^3$He target designed to use with a multipass cavity is combined with a sensitive apparatus for polarimetry that can detect optical rotations on the order of 10$^{-8}$ radians. Although the expected results are well above the sensitivity for the given experimental conditions, no nuclear-spin induced rotation was observed.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2016

Project X: Physics Opportunities

Part 2 of "Project X: Accelerator Reference Design, Physics Opportunities, Broader Impacts". In this Part, we outline the particle-physics program that can be achieved with Project X, a staged superconducting linac for intensity-frontier particle physics. Topics include neutrino physics, kaon physics, muon physics, electric dipole moments, neutron-antineutron oscillations, new light particles, hadron structure, hadron spectroscopy, and lattice-QCD calculations. Part 1 is available as arXiv:1306.5022 [physics.acc-ph] and Part 3 is available as arXiv:1306.5024 [physics.acc-ph].

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Improved limit on the $^{225}$Ra electric dipole moment

Background: Octupole-deformed nuclei, such as that of $^{225}$Ra, are expected to amplify observable atomic electric dipole moments (EDMs) that arise from time-reversal and parity-violating interactions in the nuclear medium. In 2015, we reported the first "proof-of-principle" measurement of the $^{225}$Ra atomic EDM. Purpose: This work reports on the first of several experimental upgrades to improve the statistical sensitivity of our $^{225}$Ra EDM measurements by orders of magnitude and evaluates systematic effects that contribute to current and future levels of experimental sensitivity. Method: Laser-cooled and trapped $^{225}$Ra atoms are held between two high voltage electrodes in an ultra high vacuum chamber at the center of a magnetically shielded environment. We observe Larmor precession in a uniform magnetic field using nuclear-spin-dependent laser light scattering and look for a phase shift proportional to the applied electric field, which indicates the existence of an EDM. The main improvement to our measurement technique is an order of magnitude increase in spin precession time, which is enabled by an improved vacuum system and a reduction in trap-induced heating. Results: We have measured the $^{225}$Ra atomic EDM to be less than $1.4\times10^{-23}$ $e$ cm (95% confidence upper limit), which is a factor of 36 improvement over our previous result. Conclusions: Our evaluation of systematic effects shows that this measurement is completely limited by statistical uncertainty. Combining this measurement technique with planned experimental upgrades we project a statistical sensitivity at the $1\times10^{-28}$ $e$ cm level and a total systematic uncertainty at the $4\times10^{-29}$ $e$ cm level.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2015

A Sensitive Faraday Rotation Setup Using Triple Modulation

The utilization of polarized targets in scattering experiments has become a common practice in many major accelerator laboratories. Noble gases are especially suitable for such applications, since they can be easily hyper-polarized using spin exchange or metastable pumping techniques. Polarized helium-3 is a very popular target because it often serves as an effective polarized neutron due to its simple nuclear structure. A favorite cell material to generate and store polarized helium-3 is GE-180, a relatively dense aluminosilicate glass. In this paper, we present a Faraday rotation method, using a new triple modulation technique, where the measurement of the Verdet constants of SF57 flint glass, pyrex glass, and air were tested. The sensitivity obtained shows that this technique may be implemented in future cell wall characterization and thickness measurements. We also discuss the first ever extraction of the Verdet constant of GE-180 glass for four wavelength values of 632 nm, 773 nm, 1500 nm, and 1547 nm, whereupon the expected 1/λ^{2} dependence was observed.

physics.optics↗