Darmstadt 2008 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 25: Posters: Precision spectroscopy of atoms and ions

A 25.5: Poster

Thursday, March 13, 2008, 16:30–18:30, Poster C3

Atomic parity violation in one single trapped radium ion as a probe of electroweak running — •Lotje Wansbeek, Oscar Versolato, Lorenz Willmann, Rob Timmermans, and Klaus Jungmann — KVI, University of Groningen

In a single trapped and laser cooled radium ion we investigate atomic parity violation by probing the differential splitting (*light shifts*) of the 7S and 6D Zeeman levels, which is caused by the interaction of the ion with an off-resonant laser light field. This experiment serves as a low-energy test of the electroweak Standard Model of particle physics. With precision RF spectroscopy and subsequent monitoring of quantum jumps, this splitting can be determined to sub-Hertz accuracy. A proof-of-principle has recently been given for the barium ion, and crucial ideas are being extended to Ra+ which is a superior candidate [1].

[1] J. Sherman et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 243001 (2005)