By measuring the cyclotron frequency ratios of (3)He(+) to HD(+) and T(+) to HD(+), and using HD(+) as a mass reference, we obtain new atomic masses for (3)He and T. Our results are M[(3)He]=3.016 029 322 43(19)  u and M[T]=3.016 049 281 78(19)  u, where the uncertainty includes an uncertainty of 0.12 nu in the mass reference. Allowing for cancellation of common systematic errors, we find the Q value for tritium β decay to be (M[T]-M[(3)He])c(2)=18 592.01(7)  eV. This allows an improved test of systematics in measurements of tritium β decay that set limits on neutrino mass.

One of the fundamental properties of the proton is its magnetic moment, mu(p). So far mu(p) has been measured only indirectly, by analysing the spectrum of an atomic hydrogen maser in a magnetic field(1). Here we report the direct high-precision measurement of the magnetic moment of a single proton using the double Penning-trap technique(2). We drive proton-spin quantum jumps by a magnetic radio-frequency field in a Penning trap with a homogeneous magnetic field. The induced spin transitions are detected in a second trap with a strong superimposed magnetic inhomogeneity(3). This enables the measurement of the spin-flip probability as a function of the drive frequency. In each measurement the proton's cyclotron frequency is used to determine the magnetic field of the trap. From the normalized resonance curve, we extract the particle's magnetic moment in terms of the nuclear magneton: mu(p) = 2.792847350(9)mu(N). This measurement outperforms previous Penning-trap measurements(4,5) in terms of precision by a factor of about 760. It improves the precision of the forty-year-old indirect measurement, in which significant theoretical bound state corrections(6) were required to obtain mu(p), by a factor of 3. By application of this method to the antiproton magnetic moment, the fractional precision of the recently reported value(7) can be improved by a factor of at least 1,000. Combined with the present result, this will provide a stringent test of matter/antimatter symmetry with baryons(8)

Radio-frequency induced spin transitions of one individual proton are observed for the first time. The spin quantum jumps are detected via the continuous Stern-Gerlach effect, which is used in an experiment with a single proton stored in a cryogenic Penning trap. This is an important milestone towards a direct high-precision measurement of the magnetic moment of the proton and a new test of the matter-antimatter symmetry in the baryon sector.

The spin magnetic moment of a single proton in a cryogenic Penning trap was coupled to the particle's axial motion with a superimposed magnetic bottle. Jumps in the oscillation frequency indicate spin flips and were identified using a Bayesian analysis.

No abstract

The quality factor of a superconducting NbTi resonator at 1.6 MHz in a magnetic field up to 1.2 T as well as its temperature dependence is investigated. A hysteresis effect in the superconducting surface resistance as a function of the magnetic field is observed. An unloaded Q-value of the resonator of 40,500 is achieved at 3.9 K. It is shown that this Q-value is limited by dielectric losses in the FORMVAR insulation of the coils wire. The details of the Q-value optimization are discussed. In the temperature dependence of the Q-value a steep decrease is observed above T approximately = 7.5 K. Finally, the implications of these measurements for real trap experiments are discussed in detail.

Spin flips of a single proton were driven in a Penning trap with a homogeneous magnetic field. For the spin-state analysis the proton was transported into a second Penning trap with a superimposed magnetic bottle, and the continuous Stern–Gerlach effect was applied. This first demonstration of the double Penning trap technique with a single proton suggests that the antiproton magnetic moment measurement can potentially be improved by three orders of magnitude or more

Penning traps serve for the precise measurement of magnetic moments of simple atomic systems and fundamental particles. Here we present attempts to measure the magnetic moment of the electron bound in hydrogen-like or lithium-like heavy ions as well as of the proton and antiproton. While the first experiment aims for a more stringent test of bound-state quantum-electrodynamic calculations the second experiment provides a new high-precision test of the CPT theorem in the baryonic sector.