Roadmap on STIRAP applications

STIRAP (stimulated Raman adiabatic passage) is a powerful laser-based method, usually involving two photons, for efficient and selective transfer of populations between quantum states. A particularly interesting feature is the fact that the coupling between the initial and the final quantum states is via an intermediate state, even though the lifetime of the latter can be much shorter than the interaction time with the laser radiation. Nevertheless, spontaneous emission from the intermediate state is prevented by quantum interference. Maintaining the coherence between the initial and final state throughout the transfer process is crucial. STIRAP was initially developed with applications in …

Special Relativity and the Single Antiproton: Fortyfold Improved Comparison ofp¯andpCharge-to-Mass Ratios

The measured ratio of charge-to-mass ratios for the antiproton and proton is $1.0000000015\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0000000011$. This $1$ part in ${10}^{9}$ comparison ( $1$ ppb) is possible because a single $\overline{p}$ or $p$ is now directly observed while trapped in an open access Penning trap. The comparison is the most accurate mass spectrometry of particles with opposite charge, and is the most sensitive test of $\mathrm{CPT}$ invariance for a baryon system. It is 40 times more accurate than our earlier comparison with many trapped antiprotons and protons, and is more than 45 000 times more accurate than earlier comparisons made with other techniques.

ATRAP antihydrogen experiments

Antihydrogen (Hbar) was first produced at CERN in 1996. Over the past decade our ATRAP collaboration has made massive progress toward our goal of producing large numbers of cold Hbar atoms that will be captured in a magnetic gradient trap for precise comparison between the atomic spectra of matter and antimatter. The AD at CERN provides bunches of 3 × 107 low energy Pbars every 100 seconds. We capture and cool to 4 K, 0.1% of these in a cryogenic Penning trap. By stacking many bunches we are able to do experiments with 3 × 105 Pbars. ∼100 e+/sec from a 22Na radioactive source are captured and cooled in the trap, with 5 × 106 available experiments.We have developed 2 ways to make Hbar from t…

A semiconductor laser system for the production of antihydrogen

Laser-controlled charge exchange is a promising method for producing cold antihydrogen. Caesium atoms in Rydberg states collide with positrons and create positronium. These positronium atoms then interact with antiprotons, forming antihydrogen. Las er excitation of the caesium atoms is essential to increase the cross section of the charge-exchange collisions. This method was demonstrated in 2004 by the ATRAP collaboration by using an available copper vapour laser. For a second generation of charge-e xchange experiments we have designed a new semiconductor laser system that features several improvements compared to the copper vapour laser. We describe this new laser system and show the resul…

Pumped helium system for cooling positron and electron traps to 1.2 K

Abstract Extremely precise tests of fundamental particle symmetries should be possible via laser spectroscopy of trapped antihydrogen ( H ¯ ) atoms. H ¯ atoms that can be trapped must have an energy in temperature units that is below 0.5 K—the energy depth of the deepest magnetic traps that can currently be constructed with high currents and superconducting technology. The number of atoms in a Boltzmann distribution with energies lower than this trap depth depends sharply upon the temperature of the thermal distribution. For example, ten times more atoms with energies low enough to be trapped are in a thermal distribution at a temperature of 1.2 K than for a temperature of 4.2 K. To date, H…

Using electric fields to prevent mirror-trapped antiprotons in antihydrogen studies

The signature of trapped antihydrogen ($\overline{\mathrm{H}}$) atoms is the annihilation signal detected when the magnetic trap that confines the atoms is suddenly switched off. This signal would be difficult to distinguish from the annihilation signal of any trapped $\overline{p}$ that is released when the magnetic trap is switched off. This work deduces the large cyclotron energy ($g$137 eV) required for magnetic trapping of $\overline{p}$, considers the possibility that such $\overline{p}$ are produced, and explores the effectiveness of an electric field applied to clear charged particles from the trapping volume before $\overline{\mathrm{H}}$ detection. No mechanisms are found that can…

A single trapped antiproton and antiprotons for antihydrogen production

During the last several years, our TRAP collaboration has pioneered techniques for slowing, trapping, cooling and indefinitely storing antiprotons to energies more than 1010 times lower than previously possible. The radio signal from a single trapped antiproton is now being used for precision measurements. Many cold antiprotons are “stacked” as another important step toward the eventual production of antihydrogen, and positrons have been trapped in vacuum.

Adiabatic Cooling of Antiprotons

Adiabatic cooling is shown to be a simple and effective method to cool many charged particles in a trap to very low temperatures. Up to 3 x 10(6) (p) over bar are cooled to 3.5 K-10(3) times more cold (p) over bar and a 3 times lower (p) over bar temperature than previously reported. A second cooling method cools (p) over bar plasmas via the synchrotron radiation of embedded (p) over bar (with many fewer (p) over bar than (p) over bar) in preparation for adiabatic cooling. No (p) over bar are lost during either process-a significant advantage for rare particles.

First Antiprotons in an Ion Trap

Measurements of the antiproton mass[2,3,4,5] are represented in Fig. 1. All of these are deduced from measurements of the energy of x-rays radiated from highly excited exotic atoms. For example, if an antiproton is captured in a Pb atom, it can make radiative transitions from its n = 20 to n = 19 state. The antiproton is still well outside the nucleus in this case, so that nuclear effects can be neglected. The measured transition energy is essentially proportional to the reduced mass of the nucleus and hence the antiproton mass can be deduced by comparing the measured values with theoretical values, corrected for QED effects. The most accurate quoted uncertainty is 5 × 10-5 and is consisten…

Precision mass measurements of antiprotons in a Penning trap

Utilizing electron cooling, the TRAP collaboration has lowered the energy at which antiprotons can be stored and studied by more than 10 orders of magnitude, starting with 6 MeV particles from LEAR. We have held cryogenic antiprotons a few degrees above absolute zero for two months and the storage lifetime so established, more than 3.4 months is the longest directly measured limit for antiprotons. Measuring their cyclotron frequencies in a precision cylindrical Penning trap, we have shown that the inertial masses of the antiprotons and protons are the same to a fractional accuracy of 4 parts in 108, a 1000-fold improvement over the previous comparisons. This is the most stringent test of CP…

Single-component plasma of photoelectrons

Abstract Ten-nanosecond pulses of photoelectrons liberated by intense UV laser pulses from a thin gold layer are captured into a single-component plasma that is ideally suited to cool antiprotons ( p ¯ ) for antihydrogen ( H ¯ ) production. Up to a billion electrons are accumulated using a series of laser pulses, more than are needed for efficient p ¯ cooling in the large traps now being used for loading p ¯ for H ¯ production. The method is demonstrated within an enclosed vacuum space that is entirely at 4 K, and is thus compatible with the exceptional cryogenic vacuum that is desirable for the long-term storage of antihydrogen. The pitfalls of other electron accumulation methods are entir…

Barkas effect with use of antiprotons and protons.

The difference in the range of protons and antiprotons in matter, an example of the Barkas effect, is observed in a simple time-of-flight apparatus. The ranges of 5.9-MeV antiprotons and protons differ by about 6% in a degrader made predominantly of aluminum.

Extremely cold antiprotons for antihydrogen production

The possibility to produce, trap and study antihydrogen atoms rests upon the recent availability of extremely cold antiprotons in a Penning trap. Over the last five years, our TRAP Collaboration has slowed, cooled and stored antiprotons at energies 1010 lower than was previously possible. The storage time exceeds 3.4 months despite the extremely low energy, which corresponds to 4.2 K in temperature units. The first example of measurements which become possible with extremely cold antiprotons is a comparison of the antiproton inertial masses which shows they are the same to a fractional accuracy of 4×10−8. (This is 1000 times more accurate than previous comparisons and large additional incre…

The production and study of cold antihydrogen (AD2 / ATRAP Status Report)

Antihydrogen production within a Penning-Ioffe trap.

Slow antihydrogen (H) is produced within a Penning trap that is located within a quadrupole Ioffe trap, the latter intended to ultimately confine extremely cold, ground-state H[over ] atoms. Observed H[over ] atoms in this configuration resolve a debate about whether positrons and antiprotons can be brought together to form atoms within the divergent magnetic fields of a quadrupole Ioffe trap. The number of detected H atoms actually increases when a 400 mK Ioffe trap is turned on.

Thousandfold improvement in the measured antiproton mass

Comparisons of antiproton and proton cyclotron frequencies yield the ratio of inertial masses M(p¯)/M(p)=0.999 999 977 ±0.000 000 042. The fractional uncertainty of 4×10−8 is 1000 times more accurate than previous measurements of this ratio using exotic atoms and is the most precise test of CPT invariance with baryons. Independent comparisons to electrons yield the mass ratios M(p¯)/M(e−)=1836.152 660±0.000 083 and M(p)/M(e−) =1836.152 680±0.000 088. Cryogenic antiprotons (near 4 K) stored in a Penning trap for 2 months establish directly a lifetime greater than 3.4 months.

Studies on Antihydrogen Atoms with the ATRAP Experiment at CERN

The CPT theorem predicts the same properties of matter and antimatter, however, in the nearby Universe, we observe a huge imbalance of matter and antimatter. Therefore, it is intriguing to measure the properties of particles and antiparticles in order to contribute to an explanation of this phenomena. In this article, we will describe the experimental efforts of the ATRAP Collaboration in order to test the CPT theorem using antihydrogen atoms.

Improved comparison of bar P and P charge-to-mass ratios

The measured ratio of charge-to-mass ratios for the antiproton and proton is 1.000 000 001 5 ± 0.000 000 001 1. This 1 part in 109 comparison (1 ppb) is possible because a single or p is now directly observed while trapped in an open access Penning trap. The comparison is the most accurate mass spectrometry of particles with opposite charge and is the most sensitive test of CPT invariance for a baryon system. It is 40 times more accurate than our earlier comparison with many trapped antiprotons and protons, and is more than 45 000 times more accurate than earlier comparisons made with other techniques.

Efficient transfer of positrons from a buffer-gas-cooled accumulator into an orthogonally oriented superconducting solenoid for antihydrogen studies

Positrons accumulated in a room-temperature buffer-gas-cooled positron accumulator are efficiently transferred into a superconducting solenoid which houses the ATRAP cryogenic Penning trap used in antihydrogen research. The positrons are guided along a 9 m long magnetic guide that connects the central field lines of the 0.15 T field in the positron accumulator to the central magnetic field lines of the superconducting solenoid. Seventy independently controllable electromagnets are required to overcome the fringing field of the large-bore superconducting solenoid. The guide includes both a 15° upward bend and a 105° downward bend to account for the orthogonal orientation of the positron accu…

Electron-cooled accumulation of 4 × 109positrons for production and storage of antihydrogen atoms

Four billion positrons (e+) are accumulated in a Penning–Ioffe trap apparatus at 1.2 K and <6 × 10−17 Torr. This is the largest number of positrons ever held in a Penning trap. The e+ are cooled by collisions with trapped electrons (e−) in this first demonstration of using e− for efficient loading of e+ into a Penning trap. The combined low temperature and vacuum pressure provide an environment suitable for antihydrogen () production, and long antimatter storage times, sufficient for high-precision tests of antimatter gravity and of CPT.

Cooling and slowing of trapped antiprotons below 100 meV

Electron cooling of trapped antiprotons allows their storage at energies 10 million times lower than is available in any antiproton storage ring. More than 60 000 antiprotons with energies from 0 to 3000 eV are stored in an ion trap from a single pulse of 5.9-MeV antiprotons from LEAR. Trapped antiprotons maintain their initial energy distribution over a storage lifetime exceeding 50 h unless allowed to collide with a cold buffer gas of trapped electrons, where- upon they cool dramatically to 1 eV in tens of seconds. The cooled antiprotons can be stacked into a harmonic potential well suited for long-term storage and precision measurements.

Antiproton confinement in a Penning-Ioffe trap for antihydrogen.

Antiprotons ((p) over bar) remain confined in a Penning trap, in sufficient numbers to form antihydrogen ((H) over bar) atoms via charge exchange, when the radial field of a quadrupole Ioffe trap is added. This first demonstration with (p) over bar suggests that quadrupole Ioffe traps can be superimposed upon (p) over bar and e(+) traps to attempt the capture of (H) over bar atoms as they form, contrary to conclusions of previous analyses.

Observing a single trapped antiproton

First Capture of Antiprotons in a Penning Trap: A Kiloelectronvolt Source

Antiprotons from the Low Energy Antiproton Ring of CERN are slowed from 21 MeV to below 3 keV by being passed through 3 mm of material, mostly Be. While still in flight, the kiloelectronvolt antiprotons are captured in a Penning trap created by the sudden application of a 3-kV potential. Antiprotons are held for 100 s and more. Prospects are now excellent for much longer trapping times under better vacuum conditions. This demonstrates the feasibility of a greatly improved measurement of the inertial mass of the antiproton and opens the way to other intriguing experiments.

Centrifugal Separation of Antiprotons and Electrons

Centrifugal separation of antiprotons and electrons is observed, the first such demonstration with particles that cannot be laser cooled or optically imaged. The spatial separation takes place during the electron cooling of trapped antiprotons, the only method available to produce cryogenic antiprotons for precision tests of fundamental symmetries and for cold antihydrogen studies. The centrifugal separation suggests a new approach for isolating low energy antiprotons and for producing a controlled mixture of antiprotons and electrons.

Density and geometry of single component plasmas

Abstract The density and geometry of p ¯ and e + plasmas in realistic trapping potentials are required to understand and optimize antihydrogen ( H ¯ ) formation. An aperture method and a quadrupole oscillation frequency method for characterizing such plasmas are compared for the first time, using electrons in a cylindrical Penning trap. Both methods are used in a way that makes it unnecessary to assume that the plasmas are spheroidal, and it is shown that they are not. Good agreement between the two methods illustrates the possibility to accurately determine plasma densities and geometries within non-idealized, realistic trapping potentials.

Large numbers of cold positronium atoms created in laser-selected Rydberg states using resonant charge exchange

Lasers are used to control the production of highly excited positronium atoms (Ps*). The laser light excites Cs atoms to Rydberg states that have a large cross section for resonant charge-exchange collisions with cold trapped positrons. For each trial with 30 million trapped positrons, more than 700 000 of the created Ps* have trajectories near the axis of the apparatus, and are detected using Stark ionization. This number of Ps* is 500 times higher than realized in an earlier proof-of-principle demonstration (2004 Phys. Lett. B 597 257). A second charge exchange of these near-axis Ps* with trapped antiprotons could be used to produce cold antihydrogen, and this antihydrogen production is e…

One-Particle Measurement of the Antiproton Magnetic Moment

\DeclareRobustCommand{\pbar}{\HepAntiParticle{p}{}{}\xspace} \DeclareRobustCommand{\p}{\HepParticle{p}{}{}\xspace} \DeclareRobustCommand{\mup}{$\mu_{p}${}{}\xspace} \DeclareRobustCommand{\mupbar}{$\mu_{\pbar}${}{}\xspace} \DeclareRobustCommand{\muN}{$\mu_N${}{}\xspace For the first time a single trapped \pbar is used to measure the \pbar magnetic moment ${\bm\mu}_{\pbar}$. The moment ${\bm\mu}_{\pbar} = \mu_{\pbar} {\bm S}/(\hbar/2)$ is given in terms of its spin ${\bm S}$ and the nuclear magneton (\muN) by $\mu_{\pbar}/\mu_N = -2.792\,845 \pm 0.000\,012$. The 4.4 parts per million (ppm) uncertainty is 680 times smaller than previously realized. Comparing to the proton moment measured using…

First Capture of Antiprotons in an Ion Trap: Progress Toward a Precision Mass Measurement and Antihydrogen

Antiprotons from the Low Energy Antiproton Ring of CERN are slowed from 21 MeV to below 3 keV by being passed through 3 mm of material, mostly Be. While still in flight, the kilo-electron volt antiprotons are captured in a Penning trap created by the sudden application of a 3-kV potential. Antiprotons are held for 100 s and more. Prospects are now excellent for much longer trapping times under better vacuum conditions. This demonstrates the feasibility of a greatly improved measurement of the inertial mass of the antiproton and opens the way to other intriguing experiments. The possibility of producing antihydrogen by merging cold, trapped plasmas of positrons and antiprotons is discussed.