Contributor info: Dr Frederik Wauters

P. Amaro, A. Adamczak, M. Abdou Ahmed, L. Affolter, F. D. Amaro, P. Carvalho, T. -L. Chen, L. M. P. Fernandes, M. Ferro, D. Goeldi, T. Graf, M. Guerra, T. W. Hänsch, C. A. O. Henriques, Y. -C. Huang, P. Indelicato, O. Kara, K. Kirch, A. Knecht, F. Kottmann, Y. -W. Liu, J. Machado, M. Marszalek, R. D. P. Mano, C. M. B. Monteiro, F. Nez, J. Nuber, A. Ouf, N. Paul, R. Pohl, E. Rapisarda, J. M. F. dos Santos, J. P. Santos, P. A. O. C. Silva, L. Sinkunaite, J. -T. Shy, K. Schuhmann, S. Rajamohanan, A. Soter, L. Sustelo, D. Taqqu, L. -B. Wang, F. Wauters, P. Yzombard, M. Zeyen, A. Antognini

SciPost Phys. 13, 020 (2022) · published 15 August 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The CREMA collaboration is pursuing a measurement of the ground-state hyperfine splitting (HFS) in muonic hydrogen ($\mu$p) with 1 ppm accuracy by means of pulsed laser spectroscopy to determine the two-photon-exchange contribution with $2\times10^{-4}$ relative accuracy. In the proposed experiment, the $\mu$p atom undergoes a laser excitation from the singlet hyperfine state to the triplet hyperfine state, then is quenched back to the singlet state by an inelastic collision with a H$_2$ molecule. The resulting increase of kinetic energy after the collisional deexcitation is used as a signature of a successful laser transition between hyperfine states. In this paper, we calculate the combined probability that a $\mu$p atom initially in the singlet hyperfine state undergoes a laser excitation to the triplet state followed by a collisional-induced deexcitation back to the singlet state. This combined probability has been computed using the optical Bloch equations including the inelastic and elastic collisions. Omitting the decoherence effects caused by the laser bandwidth and collisions would overestimate the transition probability by more than a factor of two in the experimental conditions. Moreover, we also account for Doppler effects and provide the matrix element, the saturation fluence, the elastic and inelastic collision rates for the singlet and triplet states, and the resonance linewidth. This calculation thus quantifies one of the key unknowns of the HFS experiment, leading to a precise definition of the requirements for the laser system and to an optimization of the hydrogen gas target where $\mu$p is formed and the laser spectroscopy will occur.

Frederik Wauters, Andreas Knecht on behalf of the muX collaboration

SciPost Phys. Proc. 5, 022 (2021) · published 6 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The muX project is conducting a series of muonic X-ray measurements in medium- and high-Z nuclei at PSI, utilizing a high-purity germanium detector array, in-beam muon detectors, and a modern digital data-acquisition system. A novel hydrogen transfer target was developed, enabling measurements with as little as a few micrograms of target material. First measurements with radioactive Cm and Ra targets were conducted, aimed at determining their nuclear charge radii. These serve as important input for upcoming atomic parity violation experiments. The apparatus is also used to perform a feasibility study of an atomic parity violation experiment with the 2s − 1s muonic X-ray transition. In addition, the setup has been made available for a wider range of nuclear, particle, and solid-state physics measurements.

F. Wauters on behalf of the Mu3e collaboration

SciPost Phys. Proc. 5, 020 (2021) · published 6 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

The \emph{Mu3e} experiment aims for a single event sensitivity of 2$\cdot$10$^{-15}$ on the charged lepton flavour violating $\mu^+\rightarrow e^+ e^+ e^-$ decay. The experimental apparatus, a light-weight tracker based on custom High-Voltage Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors placed in a 1~T magnetic field is currently under construction at the Paul Scherrer Institute, where it will use the full intense 10$^8$ $\mu^+$/s beam available. A final sensitivity of 1$\cdot$10$^{-16}$ is envisioned for a phase II experiment, driving the development of a new high-intensity DC muon source.