Self-excitation and feedback cooling of an isolated proton

The first one-proton self-excited oscillator (SEO) and one-proton feedback cooling are demonstrated. In a Penning trap with a large magnetic gradient, the SEO frequency is resolved to the high precision needed to detect a one-proton spin flip. This is after undamped magnetron motion is sideband cooled to a 14 mK theoretical limit, and despite random frequency shifts (typically larger than those from a spin flip) that take place every time sideband cooling is applied. The observations open a possible path towards a million-fold improved comparison of the p and p magnetic moments.

First laser-controlled antihydrogen production

Lasers are used for the first time to control the production of antihydrogen (H ). Sequential, resonant charge exchange collisions are involved in a method that is very different than the only other method used so far-producing slow H during positron cooling of antiprotons in a nested Penning trap. Two attractive features are that the laser frequencies determine the H binding energy, and that the production of extremely cold H should be possible in principle-likely close to what is needed for confinement in a trap, as needed for precise laser spectroscopy.

First measurement of the velocity of slow antihydrogen atoms

The speed of antihydrogen atoms is deduced from the fraction that passes through an oscillating electric field without ionizing. The weakly bound atoms used for this first demonstration travel about 20 times more rapidly than the average thermal speed of the antiprotons from which they form, if these are in thermal equilibrium with their 4.2 K container. The method should be applicable to much more deeply bound states, which may well be moving more slowly, and should aid the quest to lower the speed of the atoms as required if they are to be trapped for precise spectroscopy.