Accurate Prediction of Clock Transitions in a Highly Charged Ion with Complex Electronic Structure

C. Cheung, M. S. Safronova, S. G. Porsev, M. G. Kozlov, I. I. Tupitsyn, and A. I. Bondarev
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 163001 – Published 24 April 2020

Abstract

We develop a broadly applicable approach that drastically increases the ability to predict the properties of complex atoms accurately. We apply it to the case of Ir17+, which is of particular interest for the development of novel atomic clocks with a high sensitivity to the variation of the fine-structure constant and to dark matter searches. In general, clock transitions are weak and very difficult to identify without accurate theoretical predictions. In the case of Ir17+, even stronger electric-dipole (E1) transitions have eluded observation despite years of effort, raising the possibility that the theoretical predictions are grossly wrong. In this work, we provide accurate predictions of the transition wavelengths and E1 transition rates for Ir17+. Our results explain the lack of observations of the E1 transitions and provide a pathway toward the detection of clock transitions. The computational advances we demonstrate in this work are widely applicable to most elements in the periodic table and will allow us to solve numerous problems in atomic physics, astrophysics, and plasma physics.

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  • Received 17 December 2019
  • Accepted 1 April 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.163001

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

C. Cheung1, M. S. Safronova1,2, S. G. Porsev1,3, M. G. Kozlov3,4, I. I. Tupitsyn5,6, and A. I. Bondarev3,6

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Delaware 19716, USA
  • 2Joint Quantum Institute, NIST and the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
  • 3Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute of NRC “Kurchatov Institute”, Gatchina 188300, Russia
  • 4St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”, Prof. Popov Street 5, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia
  • 5Department of Physics, St. Petersburg State University, Ulianovskaya 1, Petrodvorets, St. Petersburg 198504, Russia
  • 6Center for Advanced Studies, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytekhnicheskaja 29, St. Petersburg 195251, Russia

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Issue

Vol. 124, Iss. 16 — 24 April 2020

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