Fundamental physics with atomic vapours
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Boltzmann's constant is key in the physical sciences, as it provides the fundamental definition of the link between energy and temperature. Previously there were different temperature standards, but with the recent revision of the SI system of units Boltzmann's constant is at the heart of thermometry.
Currently the best measurements of Boltzmann's constant come from thermodynamics, and measurements of the speed of sound. The key objective of this project is to investigate the possibility of using laser spectroscopy of an atomic vapour to measure Boltzmann's constant. It is currently an open question as to what sensitivity this technique will provide. Will it be competitive with the current method? What will be the limitations of this laser-based technique?
A novel methodology for measuring temperatures with atomic vapours will be investigated. The student will perform precision spectroscopy of atomic vapour in a large magnetic field. This will build on previous work done at Durham, but extend the parameter regime analysed much further. Precision spectroscopy at large magnetic fields has not yet been conducted. In addition to taking the experimental data, the student will need to refine current models of atom-light interactions, and perform careful data analysis with fits of experimental data to theoretical predictions. This will allow the best parameters for a precise atomic thermometer to be ascertained.
Currently the best measurements of Boltzmann's constant come from thermodynamics, and measurements of the speed of sound. The key objective of this project is to investigate the possibility of using laser spectroscopy of an atomic vapour to measure Boltzmann's constant. It is currently an open question as to what sensitivity this technique will provide. Will it be competitive with the current method? What will be the limitations of this laser-based technique?
A novel methodology for measuring temperatures with atomic vapours will be investigated. The student will perform precision spectroscopy of atomic vapour in a large magnetic field. This will build on previous work done at Durham, but extend the parameter regime analysed much further. Precision spectroscopy at large magnetic fields has not yet been conducted. In addition to taking the experimental data, the student will need to refine current models of atom-light interactions, and perform careful data analysis with fits of experimental data to theoretical predictions. This will allow the best parameters for a precise atomic thermometer to be ascertained.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Ifan Hughes (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Fraser Logue (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP/R513039/1 | 01/10/2018 | 30/09/2023 | |||
| 2238354 | Studentship | EP/R513039/1 | 01/10/2019 | 31/03/2023 | Fraser Logue |
| Description | My research considered atomic vapours as as medium to create filters. Magneto-optical filters have been built and studied for ~70 years. They are extremely narrow filters created by applying a magnetic field across a heated atomic vapour (in our case Rubidium). The polarisation of the light rotates as it moves through the vapour dependent on the light frequency and we can filter for light rotated to a certain polarisation state. Our research built on this by further exploring the impact of magnetic field direction and the use of multiple thermal vapour cells in a cascade. This has led to the construction of several world leading filters: three of which are the top three passive filters recorded in the literature by Figure of Merit. The following papers have been published as a result: https://opg.optica.org/ol/fulltext.cfm?uri=ol-47-12-2975&id=476647 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1367-2630/ac9cfe https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6455/abc7ff/meta |
| Exploitation Route | Magneto optical filters have many applications. They are used to study solar weather protecting Earth's infrastructure from solar flares. Our work feeds directly into SAMNET - a worldwide collaboration to predict solar activity. Magneto-optical filters are also used in LIDAR, used to make high resolution maps of environments from above the Earth. In addition, magneto-optical filters are used for free space and underwater communication, transmitting information without the need for optical fibers. They're finding uses in new imaging techniques such as ghost imaging which may have non-invasive medical diagnostic applications. Filters are now also being used in frequency combs which may have metrology applications and could be used in optical clock setups. |
| Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | https://opg.optica.org/ol/fulltext.cfm?uri=ol-47-12-2975&id=476647 |
| Description | Our work has introduced magneto-optical filters for the first time into the impactful field of Non-Hermitian Physics. Magneto-optical filters have typically been used as tools for other scientific applications. However our research has shown that magneto-optical filters could become a platform for deep exploration of quantum physics effects. We envision interest in thermal vapours as a platform to increase as a result due to its compact and resilient setup as compared with other platforms for studying this new exotic physics. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Title | Dataset for ' Exploiting non-orthogonal eigenmodes in a non-Hermitian optical system to realize sub-100 MHz' |
| Description | Dataset for recent paper likely to be published after Researchfish submission deadline. This dataset contains data for the most narrow passive filter realised to date and the best passive filter by Figure of Merit realised to date. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | In addition to the metrics described above, the data derives from filters constructed that are new designs and we hope to see these replicated and improved upon in the literature. |
| URL | http://www.doi.org/10.15128/r2qz20ss53r |
| Title | Dataset for the paper 'Better Magneto-Optical Filters via cascaded vapor cells) |
| Description | This includes the data for the two filters realised in the paper including the best passive filter by Figure of Merit recorded up until that point. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | It shows for the first time the data for a natural abundance Rubidium filter with only one peak above 5% transmission. (Typically natural abundance Rubidium filters have four peaks making them less narrow as filters). |
| URL | http://www.doi.org/10.15128/r12227mp71g |
| Title | Scope to ElecSus Fitting Routine |
| Description | Data needs to be analysed and formatted when it is taken off an oscilloscope before it can be compared with theory. This notebook published alongside the 2022 paper 'Laser spectroscopy of hot atomic vapours' is the definitive notebook package for taking raw data, processing it and fitting it using the program, ElecSus. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | ElecSus is the tool used by almost all the thermal vapour community. As such we expect this notebook to supplement the success of ElecSus and be used around the world in major research groups (such as in Germany and China) not just in magneto-optical filter research but in the wider thermal vapour sphere. |
| URL | https://github.com/durham-qlm/scope2elecsus |