AMO Physics in Cryogenic Matrices

Atoms and molecules have been used to create some of the world's most sensitive sensors, due to their favorable quantum properties. Prior work has shown that atoms trapped in “cryogenic matrices” — frozen gasses such as solid neon and hydrogen — preserve many of these crucial quantum properties, and that it is possible to isolate and interact with single atoms in such solids. In this project, the research team will (1) continue to investigate the properties of atoms and molecules in these cryogenic solids and (2) use them to develop single-atom quantum sensors. This has the potential to not only advance this particular field, but also to develop new sensing tools for other fields of physics, chemistry, and biology. The undergraduate and graduate students working on the project will be trained in experimental techniques with wide applicability in experimental science, particularly in quantum information science. The project has two primary goals. The first is to measure the nuclear spin coherence of ensembles of molecules implanted in solid parahydrogen. These measurements will shed light on the motion of the molecules within the “quantum solid” of parahydrogen. Moreover, if the nuclear spin coherence is favorable, this system will be of use in precision-measurement experiments for improving our understanding of fundamental physics, such as the search for a permanent electric dipole. The second is to use a single rubidium atom implanted in solid neon as a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensor capable of measure the NMR signal of a single nuclear spin. If successful, this would give scientists the capability of performing NMR measurements of single molecules, a long-sought goal. Additionally, this would be a crucial first step towards developing new methods to image the structure of a single molecule, a potentially transformative technology for chemistry and biology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.