"Applications of Polarizability Calculations: From Quantum Computation to Parity Nonconservation"
Marianna Safronova
University of Delaware
Wednesday, March 22, 11am -12 Noon in 375 LeConte Hall
Abstract
I will describe the high-precision calculations of the static and
frequency-dependent polarizabilities in alkali-metal atoms,
Na-like ions, and Ba+. The resulting polarizability values
are used for a variety of applications from reducing the
decoherence in quantum logic gates to the discovery of the inconsistency
in the experimental studies of Cs. Our alkali-metal atom polarizability
calculations can be used to predict the oscillation frequencies of
optically-trapped atoms, and particularly the ratios of frequencies of different species
held in the same trap. We identifying wavelengths at which two different
alkali atoms have the same oscillation frequency. In Cs, we use our
calculations to demonstrate that the experimental 5d lifetime data are
inconsistent with the 6s-6p experimental Stark shift data. Our calculation
of the Ba+_polarizabilities is motivated by the possibility to study the parity
nonconservation (PNC) with a single trapped ion and by recent
measurements of the Ba+ dipole and quadrupole
polarizabilities and light shift ratios. The study of the PNC in
heavy atoms provides atomic-physics tests of the Standard Model and allows to determine
nuclear anapole moments. I will also report the comparison of our preliminary results for the
d-state polarizabilities in Cs with recent experiment and new results for TI stark-induced
amplitudes and Stark shifts.
