Proof-of-Principle Experiment for Testing Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms: High Precision X-Ray Spectroscopy of Muonic Neon

T Okumura; T Azuma; D A Bennett; I Chiu; W B Doriese; M S Durkin; J W Fowler; J D Gard; T Hashimoto; R Hayakawa; G C Hilton; Y Ichinohe; P Indelicato; T Isobe; S Kanda; M Katsuragawa; N Kawamura; Y Kino; K Mine; Y Miyake; K M Morgan; K Ninomiya; H Noda; G C O'Neil; S Okada; K Okutsu; N Paul; C D Reintsema; D R Schmidt; K Shimomura; P Strasser; H Suda; D S Swetz; T Takahashi; S Takeda; S Takeshita; M Tampo; H Tatsuno; Y Ueno; J N Ullom; S Watanabe; S Yamada

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.173001

Proof-of-Principle Experiment for Testing Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms: High Precision X-Ray Spectroscopy of Muonic Neon

Phys Rev Lett. 2023 Apr 28;130(17):173001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.173001.

Authors

T Okumura¹, T Azuma¹, D A Bennett², I Chiu³, W B Doriese², M S Durkin², J W Fowler², J D Gard², T Hashimoto⁴, R Hayakawa⁵, G C Hilton², Y Ichinohe⁶, P Indelicato⁷, T Isobe⁸, S Kanda⁹, M Katsuragawa¹⁰, N Kawamura⁹, Y Kino¹¹, K Mine¹⁰, Y Miyake⁹, K M Morgan^{2

12}, K Ninomiya³, H Noda¹³, G C O'Neil², S Okada¹⁴, K Okutsu¹¹, N Paul⁷, C D Reintsema², D R Schmidt², K Shimomura⁹, P Strasser⁹, H Suda⁵, D S Swetz², T Takahashi¹⁰, S Takeda¹⁰, S Takeshita⁹, M Tampo⁹, H Tatsuno⁵, Y Ueno¹, J N Ullom², S Watanabe¹⁵, S Yamada⁶

Affiliations

¹ Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198, Japan.
² National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA.
³ Institute for Radiation Sciences, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
⁴ Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai 319-1184, Japan.
⁵ Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.
⁶ Department of Physics, Rikkyo University, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan.
⁷ Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Collège de France, Case 74, 4, place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
⁸ RIKEN Nishina Center, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198, Japan.
⁹ High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan.
¹⁰ Kavli IPMU (WPI), The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan.
¹² Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
¹³ Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan.
¹⁴ Engineering Science Laboratory, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi 487-8501, Japan.
¹⁵ Department of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan.

PMID: 37172243
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.173001

Abstract

To test bound-state quantum electrodynamics (BSQED) in the strong-field regime, we have performed high precision x-ray spectroscopy of the 5g-4f and 5f- 4d transitions (BSQED contribution of 2.4 and 5.2 eV, respectively) of muonic neon atoms in the low-pressure gas phase without bound electrons. Muonic atoms have been recently proposed as an alternative to few-electron high-Z ions for BSQED tests by focusing on circular Rydberg states where nuclear contributions are negligibly small. We determined the 5g_{9/2}- 4f_{7/2} transition energy to be 6297.08±0.04(stat)±0.13(syst) eV using superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters (5.2-5.5 eV FWHM resolution), which agrees well with the most advanced BSQED theoretical prediction of 6297.26 eV.