frequency standards; frequency metrology; molecular clocks; quantum-cascade lasers; frequency distribution; molecular spectroscopy; precision spectroscopy
Najafian Kaveh, Meir Ziv, Sinhal Mudit, Willitsch Stefan (2020), Identification of molecular quantum states using phase-sensitive forces, in
Nature Communications, 11(1), 4470-4470.
Najafian Kaveh, Meir Ziv, Willitsch Stefan (2020), From megahertz to terahertz qubits encoded in molecular ions: theoretical analysis of dipole-forbidden spectroscopic transitions in N 2+, in
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 22(40), 23083-23098.
Sinhal Mudit, Meir Ziv, Najafian Kaveh, Hegi Gregor, Willitsch Stefan (2020), Quantum-nondemolition state detection and spectroscopy of single trapped molecules, in
Science, 367(6483), 1213-1218.
Meir Ziv, Sinhal Mudit, Safronova Marianna S., Willitsch Stefan (2020), Combining experiments and relativistic theory for establishing accurate radiative quantities in atoms: The lifetime of the 2P3/2 state in Ca+40, in
Physical Review A, 101(1), 012509-012509.
Meir Ziv, Hegi Gregor, Najafian Kaveh, Sinhal Mudit, Willitsch Stefan (2019), State-selective coherent motional excitation as a new approach for the manipulation, spectroscopy and state-to-state chemistry of single molecular ions, in
Faraday Discussions, 217, 561-583.
The goal of this project is to exploit recent progress in laser technology, frequency metrology and molecule optics to carry out ultra-precise measurements of energy intervals between electronic, vibrational and rotational states of molecules, in particular molecular ions. The present project aims to achieve a relative measurement accuracy in molecular-ion spectroscopy of order 10^(-14) - 10^(-15), an improvement of several orders of magnitude in comparison to the present state of the art of 10^(-9). These advancements will open up a new frontier in precision molecular spectroscopy which will pave the way for using molecules as new high-precision frequency standards and clocks, for addressing fundamental physical problems such as the proton-radius puzzle and a possible temporal variation of fundamental physical constants and for precision tests of quantum electrodynamics. All of these application will be explored in the present project.The dramatic advancement in measurement accuracy targeted in the present project will be enabled by the implementation of new spectroscopic methodologies based on quantum technologies, by the development of ultranarrow quantum-cascade laser sources tailored to the present needs, and in particular through the implementation of a fibre-optical network for the distribution of the Swiss primary frequency standard maintained by the Federal Institute of Metrology METAS to spectroscopy laboratories in Basel and Zurich. This network will enable the absolute stabilisation, calibration and frequency comparison of the laser sources employed in the present measurements at a level of up to 10^(-15) by their referencing to the Swiss primary standard. While several European countries have already set up similar national and international networks for precision frequency distribution, Switzerland thus far possesses no such facilities. For Switzerland not to lose contact and competitiveness in the key future scientific domain of frequency metrology, it is imperative for our country to establish similar infrastructures. The present project will establish and test a prototype network connecting ETH Zurich, the University of Basel and the Federal Institute of Metrology METAS in Bern/Wabern. This prototype is intended to form the nucleus of a Swiss national network for precision frequency- and time distribution linking a broad range of national laboratories and research groups involved in frequency metrology in the future.These objectives can only be reached through the close collaboration of a highly interdisci- plinary team involving physical chemists, laser physicists, metrologists and telecommunication- network engineers which are assembled in the present project.