High precision hyperfine measurements in Bismuth challenge bound-state strong-field QED

Electrons bound in highly charged heavy ions such as hydrogen-like bismuth 209 Bi 82+ experience electromagnetic fields that are a million times stronger than in light atoms. Measuring the wavelength of light emitted and absorbed by these ions is therefore a sensitive testing ground for quantum elec...

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Published in:Nature communications 2017-05, Vol.8 (1), p.15484-15484, Article 15484
Main Authors: Ullmann, Johannes, Andelkovic, Zoran, Brandau, Carsten, Dax, Andreas, Geithner, Wolfgang, Geppert, Christopher, Gorges, Christian, Hammen, Michael, Hannen, Volker, Kaufmann, Simon, König, Kristian, Litvinov, Yuri A., Lochmann, Matthias, Maaß, Bernhard, Meisner, Johann, Murböck, Tobias, Sánchez, Rodolfo, Schmidt, Matthias, Schmidt, Stefan, Steck, Markus, Stöhlker, Thomas, Thompson, Richard C., Trageser, Christian, Vollbrecht, Jonas, Weinheimer, Christian, Nörtershäuser, Wilfried
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
140/125
639/766/36/1121
639/766/387/1126
Electrons
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrogen
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Electrons bound in highly charged heavy ions such as hydrogen-like bismuth 209 Bi 82+ experience electromagnetic fields that are a million times stronger than in light atoms. Measuring the wavelength of light emitted and absorbed by these ions is therefore a sensitive testing ground for quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects and especially the electron–nucleus interaction under such extreme conditions. However, insufficient knowledge of the nuclear structure has prevented a rigorous test of strong-field QED. Here we present a measurement of the so-called specific difference between the hyperfine splittings in hydrogen-like and lithium-like bismuth 209 Bi 82+,80+ with a precision that is improved by more than an order of magnitude. Even though this quantity is believed to be largely insensitive to nuclear structure and therefore the most decisive test of QED in the strong magnetic field regime, we find a 7- σ discrepancy compared with the theoretical prediction. Precision measurements provide a sensitive test of fundamental constants and their uncertainties. Here the authors precisely measure the hyperfine structure splitting in bismuth ions, and report significant discrepancy with the theoretical prediction of quantum electrodynamics.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/ncomms15484