Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2206.07034

Optical deceleration of atomic hydrogen

S. F. Cooper, Cory Rasor, Ryan Bullis, A. D. Brandt, D. C. Yost

Published Jun 14, 2022• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

High-precision hydrogen spectroscopy is an active field which helps to determine the Rydberg constant and proton charge radius, tests bound-state QED, and can search for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) Physics. Additionally, with recent demonstrations of anti-hydrogen trapping and spectroscopy, a new line of investigation is possible whereby hydrogen can be compared to its antimatter counterpart. The next generation of precision hydrogen spectroscopy will likely require additional motional control of the atomic sample - similar to what is possible with heavier elements. Unfortunately, laser cooling - one of the cornerstones of modern precision atomic physics - is difficult in hydrogen due to the vacuum ultraviolet radiation required. Here, we sidestep the challenges inherent in laser cooling and demonstrate a technique whereby we load metastable atoms from a cryogenic beam into a moving optical lattice, decelerate the lattice, and observe a commensurate deceleration of the atoms. Since the optical lattice is governed by standard optoelectronics, this technique represents a robust platform for the motional control of hydrogen. Our technique could enable greater precision in hydrogen spectroscopy and be transferred to exotic simple atoms such as antihydrogen.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2206.07034

Related papers

Towards trapping of hydrogen atoms for computable optical clock applications

Amit, Omer, Taray, Derya, Wirthl, Vitaly +13 more

Because of its simple structure, the hydrogen atom is often used as a testbed for quantum electrodynamics. Spectroscopy of trapped atomic samples can greatly improve the accuracy of these tests. Trapping atomic hydrogen in an optical dipole trap or an optical lattice has never been achieved. Only trapping in magnetic fields that lead to large Zeeman shifts has been demonstrated. Standard techniques of atomic physics are difficult to apply to atomic hydrogen. The small mass of the atom and the large photon energy of the 1S-2P cooling transition significantly complicate Doppler cooling. This proposal introduces a photon recoil-assisted loading scheme that uses these properties to our advantage to load atomic hydrogen into an optical dipole trap without laser cooling. The magic wavelength (515 nm) for the 1S-2S clock transition (1.3-Hz natural linewidth) is easily accessible with current laser technology. Since the 1S-2S clock transition can be driven Doppler free, we do not require a very low temperature. Besides improving spectroscopy for fundamental science, such a system can also be used as a “computable” atomic clock that may one day justify the redefinition of the SI second in terms of the Rydberg constant.

•Sep 1, 2025•0 citations

Towards trapping of hydrogen atoms for computable optical clock applications

Omer Amit, Derya Taray, Vitaly Wirthl +13 more

Because of its simple structure, the hydrogen atom is often used as a testbed for quantum electrodynamics. Spectroscopy of trapped atomic samples can greatly improve the accuracy of these tests. Trapping atomic hydrogen in an optical dipole trap or an optical lattice has never been achieved. Only trapping in magnetic fields that lead to large Zeeman shifts has been demonstrated. Standard techniques of atomic physics are difficult to apply to atomic hydrogen. The small mass of the atom and the large photon energy of the 1-2 cooling transition significantly complicate Doppler cooling. This proposal introduces a photon recoil-assisted loading scheme that uses these properties to our advantage to load atomic hydrogen into an optical dipole trap without laser cooling. The magic wavelength (515 nm) for the 1-2 clock transition (1.3-Hz natural linewidth) is easily accessible with current laser technology. Since the 1-2 clock transition can be driven Doppler free, we do not require a very low temperature. Besides improving spectroscopy for fundamental science, such a system can also be used as a “computable” atomic clock that may one day justify the redefinition of the SI second in terms of the Rydberg constant.

Physical Review A•Aug 5, 2025•4 citations

Sisyphus optical lattice decelerator

Chun-Chia Chen, Shayne Bennetts, Rodrigo González Escudero +2 more

Leading tests of the Standard Model, like measurements of the electron electric dipole moment or of matter-antimatter asymmetry, are built upon our ability to laser-cool atoms and molecules to ultracold temperatures. Unfortunately, laser-cooling remains limited to a minute collection of species with very specific electronic structures. To include more species, such as polyatomic molecules or exotic atoms like antihydrogen, new cooling methods are needed. Here we demonstrate a method based on Sisyphus cooling that was proposed for laser-cooling antihydrogen. In our implementation, atoms are selectively excited to an electronic state whose energy is spatially modulated by an optical lattice, and the ensuing spontaneous decay completes one Sisyphus cycle. We show that this method eliminates many constraints of traditional radiation-pressure-based approaches, while providing similar atom numbers with lower temperatures. This laser-cooling method can be instrumental in bringing new exotic species and molecules to the ultracold regime.

arXiv:1810.07157•Physical Review A•Aug 1, 2019•13 citations

Laser Cooling of Atoms with an Optical Frequency Comb

Damir Aumiler, Neven Šantić, Danijel Buhin +3 more

Despite the prominent role of laser cooling in modern atomic physics, with applications ranging from quantum sensors to high-precision spectroscopy and ultracold chemistry, laser cooling techniques are still limited to atoms with simple energy level structure and closed transitions that are accessible by currently available continuous wave (cw) laser sources. Two main obstacles prevent the extension of laser cooling techniques to a variety of atomic species and molecules. The first is associated with technical difficulties in creating cw laser light in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral range - the absence of those laser sources prevents laser cooling of simple atoms such as hydrogen, deuterium, and antihydrogen. The second obstacle is associated with complex energy level structure of many atoms and almost all molecules - it permits decay of an excited state into a number of lower-lying states that can be widely separated in energy, which makes laser cooling of such species inefficient and experimentally very challenging.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2019•0 citations

Motional Control of Polyatomic Molecules for Precision Measurement

Alexander Frenett

Extending AMO techniques of motional control to heavy polyatomic molecules opens new possibilities for precision measurements of fundamental physics. Though various laser-cooling and deceleration techniques have been applied to diatomic molecules throughout the last decade, their application to more complex molecules has heretofore been focused on light species, leaving generalizability to heavy species an open question. To investigate the high-mass frontier, we here study how to extend motional control to heavy-atom-containing polyatomic molecules. First, we discuss Zeeman-Sisyphus deceleration of YbOH, which can be used to decelerate species capable of scattering only ~10s of photons. Then, we discuss radiative slowing and magneto-optical trapping of SrOH, techniques only extendable to species capable of scattering $\sim10^4$ photons. The last work focuses on spectroscopy of nonlinear molecules to assess the viability of extending techniques of motional control to more complex species. We find a dependence of both rotational and vibrational control on symmetry group, and identify a next-generation candidate for laser cooling. We end with a overview tying these projects together, and assessing the future of motional control along mass and complexity axes, including brief suggestions of how complementary methods to those studied here can further expand into the frontiers of molecular control.

•Jan 1, 2024•0 citations

High-Precision Spectroscopy Using Rydberg Atoms

Kaitlin Moore

Using cold atoms, I probe the energy-level intervals between Rydberg states to high spectroscopic precision. The focus of this work is to lay the groundwork for an updated, highly-controlled measurement of the Rydberg constant using circular-state Rydberg atoms, needed to resolve a recent conflict in proton-radius values that arose in 2010 (the so-called 'proton radius puzzle'). Toward this end, I have demonstrated a fundamentally-new mechanism with which to drive atomic (Rydberg-Rydberg) transitions, utilizing an inelastic (state-changing) ponderomotive interaction. Until now, the multipole-field interaction has been the sole mechanism on which spectroscopy of atomic transitions has been based. In this work, the state-changing ponderomotive interaction ('ponderomotive spectroscopy') is demonstrated by amplitude-modulating an optical standing wave at a transition resonance of a Rydberg atom. At the core of this new spectroscopic technique is the requirement that the light intensity must be modulated in space within the atomic volume, and in time at the desired atomic transition frequency. A Rydberg atom in a modulated optical lattice is very well-suited for a demonstration of this novel type of spectroscopy. Magic-wavelength conditions of this interaction are also identified, as well as a method to drive transitions at harmonics of the modulation. Both of these features of ponderomotive spectroscopy will be utilized to simultaneously trap and probe Rydberg atoms to perform the Rydberg constant measurement. I also present a high-precision measurement of the quantum defect of a high-angular-momentum state of rubidium, the atomic species that will be used in the Rydberg constant measurement. The quantum defects of high-angular-momentum states are needed to determine the effect of the rubidium core polarizability on the Rydberg constant measurement, which is anticipated to be a leading uncertainty. Finally, I present the background and design work for a measurement of the Rydberg constant specifically tailored to help resolve the proton radius puzzle, thereby completing the major preliminary work needed for the performance of that high-precision measurement.

•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations
High-precision hydrogen spectroscopy is an active field which helps to determine the Rydberg constant and proton charge radius, tests bound-state QED, and can search for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) Physics. Additionally, with recent demonstrations of anti-hydrogen trapping and spectroscopy, a new line of investigation is possible whereby hydrogen can be compared to its antimatter counterpart. The next generation of precision hydrogen spectroscopy will likely require additional motional control of the atomic sample - similar to what is possible with heavier elements. Unfortunately, laser cooling - one of the cornerstones of modern precision atomic physics - is difficult in hydrogen due to the vacuum ultraviolet radiation required. Here, we sidestep the challenges inherent in laser cooling and demonstrate a technique whereby we load metastable atoms from a cryogenic beam into a moving optical lattice, decelerate the lattice, and observe a commensurate deceleration of the atoms. Since the optical lattice is governed by standard optoelectronics, this technique represents a robust platform for the motional control of hydrogen. Our technique could enable greater precision in hydrogen spectroscopy and be transferred to exotic simple atoms such as antihydrogen.
Because of its simple structure, the hydrogen atom is often used as a testbed for quantum electrodynamics. Spectroscopy of trapped atomic samples can greatly improve the accuracy of these tests. Trapping atomic hydrogen in an optical dipole trap or an optical lattice has never been achieved. Only trapping in magnetic fields that lead to large Zeeman shifts has been demonstrated. Standard techniques of atomic physics are difficult to apply to atomic hydrogen. The small mass of the atom and the large photon energy of the 1S-2P cooling transition significantly complicate Doppler cooling. This proposal introduces a photon recoil-assisted loading scheme that uses these properties to our advantage to load atomic hydrogen into an optical dipole trap without laser cooling. The magic wavelength (515 nm) for the 1S-2S clock transition (1.3-Hz natural linewidth) is easily accessible with current laser technology. Since the 1S-2S clock transition can be driven Doppler free, we do not require a very low temperature. Besides improving spectroscopy for fundamental science, such a system can also be used as a “computable” atomic clock that may one day justify the redefinition of the SI second in terms of the Rydberg constant.
Because of its simple structure, the hydrogen atom is often used as a testbed for quantum electrodynamics. Spectroscopy of trapped atomic samples can greatly improve the accuracy of these tests. Trapping atomic hydrogen in an optical dipole trap or an optical lattice has never been achieved. Only trapping in magnetic fields that lead to large Zeeman shifts has been demonstrated. Standard techniques of atomic physics are difficult to apply to atomic hydrogen. The small mass of the atom and the large photon energy of the 1-2 cooling transition significantly complicate Doppler cooling. This proposal introduces a photon recoil-assisted loading scheme that uses these properties to our advantage to load atomic hydrogen into an optical dipole trap without laser cooling. The magic wavelength (515 nm) for the 1-2 clock transition (1.3-Hz natural linewidth) is easily accessible with current laser technology. Since the 1-2 clock transition can be driven Doppler free, we do not require a very low temperature. Besides improving spectroscopy for fundamental science, such a system can also be used as a “computable” atomic clock that may one day justify the redefinition of the SI second in terms of the Rydberg constant.
Leading tests of the Standard Model, like measurements of the electron electric dipole moment or of matter-antimatter asymmetry, are built upon our ability to laser-cool atoms and molecules to ultracold temperatures. Unfortunately, laser-cooling remains limited to a minute collection of species with very specific electronic structures. To include more species, such as polyatomic molecules or exotic atoms like antihydrogen, new cooling methods are needed. Here we demonstrate a method based on Sisyphus cooling that was proposed for laser-cooling antihydrogen. In our implementation, atoms are selectively excited to an electronic state whose energy is spatially modulated by an optical lattice, and the ensuing spontaneous decay completes one Sisyphus cycle. We show that this method eliminates many constraints of traditional radiation-pressure-based approaches, while providing similar atom numbers with lower temperatures. This laser-cooling method can be instrumental in bringing new exotic species and molecules to the ultracold regime.
Despite the prominent role of laser cooling in modern atomic physics, with applications ranging from quantum sensors to high-precision spectroscopy and ultracold chemistry, laser cooling techniques are still limited to atoms with simple energy level structure and closed transitions that are accessible by currently available continuous wave (cw) laser sources. Two main obstacles prevent the extension of laser cooling techniques to a variety of atomic species and molecules. The first is associated with technical difficulties in creating cw laser light in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral range - the absence of those laser sources prevents laser cooling of simple atoms such as hydrogen, deuterium, and antihydrogen. The second obstacle is associated with complex energy level structure of many atoms and almost all molecules - it permits decay of an excited state into a number of lower-lying states that can be widely separated in energy, which makes laser cooling of such species inefficient and experimentally very challenging.
Extending AMO techniques of motional control to heavy polyatomic molecules opens new possibilities for precision measurements of fundamental physics. Though various laser-cooling and deceleration techniques have been applied to diatomic molecules throughout the last decade, their application to more complex molecules has heretofore been focused on light species, leaving generalizability to heavy species an open question. To investigate the high-mass frontier, we here study how to extend motional control to heavy-atom-containing polyatomic molecules. First, we discuss Zeeman-Sisyphus deceleration of YbOH, which can be used to decelerate species capable of scattering only ~10s of photons. Then, we discuss radiative slowing and magneto-optical trapping of SrOH, techniques only extendable to species capable of scattering ∼104\sim10^4∼104 photons. The last work focuses on spectroscopy of nonlinear molecules to assess the viability of extending techniques of motional control to more complex species. We find a dependence of both rotational and vibrational control on symmetry group, and identify a next-generation candidate for laser cooling. We end with a overview tying these projects together, and assessing the future of motional control along mass and complexity axes, including brief suggestions of how complementary methods to those studied here can further expand into the frontiers of molecular control.
Using cold atoms, I probe the energy-level intervals between Rydberg states to high spectroscopic precision. The focus of this work is to lay the groundwork for an updated, highly-controlled measurement of the Rydberg constant using circular-state Rydberg atoms, needed to resolve a recent conflict in proton-radius values that arose in 2010 (the so-called 'proton radius puzzle'). Toward this end, I have demonstrated a fundamentally-new mechanism with which to drive atomic (Rydberg-Rydberg) transitions, utilizing an inelastic (state-changing) ponderomotive interaction. Until now, the multipole-field interaction has been the sole mechanism on which spectroscopy of atomic transitions has been based. In this work, the state-changing ponderomotive interaction ('ponderomotive spectroscopy') is demonstrated by amplitude-modulating an optical standing wave at a transition resonance of a Rydberg atom. At the core of this new spectroscopic technique is the requirement that the light intensity must be modulated in space within the atomic volume, and in time at the desired atomic transition frequency. A Rydberg atom in a modulated optical lattice is very well-suited for a demonstration of this novel type of spectroscopy. Magic-wavelength conditions of this interaction are also identified, as well as a method to drive transitions at harmonics of the modulation. Both of these features of ponderomotive spectroscopy will be utilized to simultaneously trap and probe Rydberg atoms to perform the Rydberg constant measurement. I also present a high-precision measurement of the quantum defect of a high-angular-momentum state of rubidium, the atomic species that will be used in the Rydberg constant measurement. The quantum defects of high-angular-momentum states are needed to determine the effect of the rubidium core polarizability on the Rydberg constant measurement, which is anticipated to be a leading uncertainty. Finally, I present the background and design work for a measurement of the Rydberg constant specifically tailored to help resolve the proton radius puzzle, thereby completing the major preliminary work needed for the performance of that high-precision measurement.