Sergey G. Porsev

Multipolar theory of blackbody radiation shift of atomic energy levels and its implications for optical lattice clocks

Blackbody radiation (BBR) shifts of the {sup 3}P{sub 0}-{sup 1}S{sub 0} clock transition in the divalent atoms Mg, Ca, Sr, and Yb are evaluated. The dominant electric-dipole contributions are computed using accurate relativistic many-body techniques of atomic structure. At room temperatures, the resulting uncertainties in the E1 BBR shifts are large and substantially affect the projected 10{sup -18} fractional accuracy of the optical-lattice-based clocks. A peculiarity of these clocks is that the characteristic BBR wavelength is comparable to the {sup 3}P fine-structure intervals. To evaluate relevant M1 and E2 contributions, a theory of multipolar BBR shifts is developed. The resulting corrections, although presently masked by the uncertainties in the E1 contribution, are required at the 10{sup -18} accuracy goal.

High-accuracy relativistic many-body calculations of van der Waals coefficients C 6 for alkaline-earth-metal atoms

Relativistic many-body calculations of van der Waals coefficients C 6 for dimers correlating to two ground-state alkaline-earth-metal atoms at large internuclear separations are reported. The following values and uncertainties were determined: C 6 = 214(3) for Be, 627(12) for Mg, 2221(15) for Ca, 3170(196) for Sr, and 5160(74) for Ba in atomic units.

Electric dipole polarizabilities at imaginary frequencies for hydrogen, the alkali-metal, alkaline-earth, and noble gas atoms

The electric dipole polarizabilities evaluated at imaginary frequencies for hydrogen, the alkali–metal atoms, the alkaline–earth atoms, and the noble gases are tabulated along with the resulting values of the atomic static polarizabilities, the atom–surface interaction constants, and the dispersion (or van der Waals) constants for the homonuclear and the heteronuclear diatomic combinations of the atoms.

Possibility of an optical clock using the 6 {sup 1}S{sub 0}{yields}6 {sup 3}P{sub 0}{sup o} transition in {sup 171,173}Yb atoms held in an optical lattice

We report calculations assessing the ultimate precision of an atomic clock based on the 578 nm 6 {sup 1}S{sub 0}{yields}6 {sup 3}P{sub 0} transition in Yb atoms confined in an optical lattice trap. We find that this transition has a natural linewidth less than 10 mHz in the odd Yb isotopes, caused by hyperfine coupling. The shift in this transition due to the trapping light acting through the lowest order ac polarizability is found to become zero at the magic trap wavelength of about 752 nm. The effects of Rayleigh scattering, multipole polarizabilities, vector polarizability, and hyperfine induced electronic magnetic moments can all be held below 1 mHz (about one part in 10{sup 18}). In the case of the hyperpolarizability, however, larger shifts due to nearly resonant terms cannot be ruled out without an accurate measurement of the magic wavelength.We report calculations designed to assess the ultimate precision of an atomic clock based on the 578 nm

Accurate relativistic many-body calculations of van der Waals coefficients C8 and C10 for alkali-metal dimers

6 ^1S_0 -->6 ^3P^o_0

Highly Charged Ions for Atomic Clocks, Quantum Information, and Search for α variation

transition in Yb atoms confined in an optical lattice trap. We find that this transition has a natural linewidth less than 10 mHz in the odd Yb isotopes, caused by hyperfine coupling. The shift in this transition due to the trapping light acting through the lowest order AC polarizability is found to become zero at the magic trap wavelength of about 752 nm. The effects of Rayleigh scattering, higher-order polarizabilities, vector polarizability, and hyperfine induced electronic magnetic moments can all be held below a mHz (about a part in 10^{18}), except in the case of the hyperpolarizability larger shifts due to nearly resonant terms cannot be ruled out without an accurate measurement of the magic wavelength.

Ultracold Collision Properties of Metastable Alkaline-Earth Atoms

We consider long-range interactions between two alkali-metal atoms in their respective ground states. We extend the previous relativistic many-body calculations of C6 dispersion coefficients [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3589 (1999)] to higher-multipole coefficients C8 and C10. Special attention is paid to usually omitted contribution of core-excited states. We calculate this contribution within relativistic random-phase approximation and demonstrate that for heavy atoms core excitations contribute as much as 10% to the dispersion coefficients. We tabulate results for both homonuclear and heteronuclear dimers and estimate theoretical uncertainties. The estimated uncertainties for C8 coefficients range from 0.5% for Li2 to 4% for Cs2.

Determination of lifetimes of 6 P J levels and ground-state polarizability of Cs from the van der Waals coefficient C 6

We propose 10 highly charged ions as candidates for the development of next generation atomic clocks, quantum information, and search for α variation. They have long-lived metastable states with transition wavelengths to the ground state between 170-3000 nm, relatively simple electronic structure, stable isotopes, and high sensitivity to α variation (e.g., Sm(14+), Pr(10+), Sm(13+), Nd(10+)). We predict their properties crucial for the experimental exploration and highlight particularly attractive systems for these applications.

Many-body calculations of electric-dipole amplitudes for transitions between low-lying levels of Mg, Ca, and Sr

Ultracold collisions of spin-polarized 24Mg, 40Ca, and 88Sr in the metastable 3P2 excited state are investigated based on molecular potentials obtained from ab initio calculations. We calculate the long-range interaction potentials and estimate the scattering length and the collisional loss rate as a function of magnetic field. The scattering lengths show resonance behavior due to the appearance of a molecular bound state in a purely long-range interaction potential and are positive for magnetic fields below 50 mT. A loss-rate model shows that losses should be smallest near zero magnetic field and for fields slightly larger than the resonance field, where the scattering length is also positive.

Parity nonconservation in thallium

A method for determination of atomic dipole matrix elements of principal transitions from the value of dispersion coefficient C_6 of molecular potentials correlating to two ground-state atoms is proposed. The method is illustrated on atomic Cs using C_6 deduced from high-resolution Feshbach spectroscopy. The following reduced matrix elements are determined<6S_{1/2} || D || 6P_{1/2}>=4.5028(60) |e| a0 and<6S_{1/2} || D || 6P_{3/2}>=6.3373(84) |e| a0 (a0= 0.529177 \times 10^{-8} cm.) These matrix elements are consistent with the results of the most accurate direct lifetime measurements and have a similar uncertainty. It is argued that the uncertainty can be considerably reduced as the coefficient C_6 is constrained further.