About us
The laboratory aims to create conditions for experimental research fundamental for physics by taking advantage of the peak achievements of metrology and ultra-high resolution spectroscopy to test theories predicted by and going beyond the Standard Model, such as the search for dark matter in the form of light scalar fields and topological defects, measurements of the electric dipole moment of the electron (EDM) or measurements of the coupling of the Higgs boson with a light lepton, such as an electron.
HgRb ultra-cold molecules system
In the National Laboratory for Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (FAMO), a double magneto optical trap (MOT) system for mercury and rubidium atoms has been already built. It is a unique experimental system enabling the creation of cold clouds of Hg and Rb atoms in the same place and time. Low temperature maintained in the MOT traps, of the order of 100 µK, opens up a number of possibilities for performing experiments in basic physics. In order to expand the system’s capabilities, it will be expanded with a laser system necessary to increase the density of atoms in the MOT trap.
As part of this project, the theory regarding the possibility of producing HgRb heteronuclear molecules through photoassociation will be verified and the energies of the molecule in the excited state near the dissociation limit will be measured. In addition, Feshbach optical resonances in the Hg-Rb system and the possibility of changing the scattering length – a basic parameter describing low-temperature interatomic interactions – will be examined. Obtaining cold HgRb molecules will open the way to experiments in fundamental physics.
Sr: autonomous active optical frequency reference
The aim of this project is to use advanced quantum techniques to create a new generation of optical clocks – active frequency standards, based on optically trapped ultra-cold atoms coupled to an external resonance cavity in order to eliminate thermal noise present in ultrastable clock lasers of the current generation. The atom-cavity system will be used for quantum amplification of laser light with a narrow spectrum in order to obtain a continuous active optical frequency standard.
By shifting the performance of optical atomic clocks towards the Heisenberg limit, the project will significantly strengthen all of their applications, such as test of fundamental physics (the relativity theory, physics outside the standard model, variations of fundamental constants, searching for dark matter) and applied physics (relativistic geophysics, chronometric geodesy, precise geodesy and time stamping in coherent high speed optical communication). In addition, active optical atomic clocks, due to the fact that they do not have dead time, do not need to average the measurement after the interrogation time and are not sensitive to thermal fluctuations of mirrors and have the potential to connect to large atomic interferometers in observing gravitational waves.
0000-0002-2826-5129
