Electrons bound in highly charged heavy ions such as hydrogen-like bismuth 209Bi82+ experience electromagnetic fields that are a million times stronger than in light atoms. Measuring the wavelength of light emitted and absorbed by these ions is therefore a sensitive testing ground for quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects and especially the electron–nucleus interaction under such extreme conditions. However, insufficient knowledge of the nuclear structure has prevented a rigorous test of strong-field QED. Here we present a measurement of the so-called specific difference between the hyperfine splittings in hydrogen-like and lithium-like bismuth 209Bi82+,80+ with a precision that is improved by more than an order of magnitude. Even though this quantity is believed to be largely insensitive to nuclear structure and therefore the most decisive test of QED in the strong magnetic field regime, we find a 7-σ discrepancy compared with the theoretical prediction.

We report an improved measurement of the hyperfine splitting in hydrogen-like bismuth (209Bi82+) at the experimental storage ring ESR at GSI by laser spectroscopy on a coasting beam. Accuracy was improved by about an order of magnitude compared to the first observation in 1994. The most important improvement is an in situ high voltage measurement at the electron cooler (EC) platform with an accuracy at the 10 ppm level. Furthermore, the space charge effect of the EC current on the ion velocity was determined with two independent techniques that provided consistent results. The result of nm provides an important reference value for experiments testing bound-state quantum electrodynamics in the strong magnetic field regime by evaluating the specific difference between the splittings in the hydrogen-like and lithium-like ions.

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We present the results of high-voltage collinear laser spectroscopy measurements on the 5 ppm relative uncertainty level using a pump and probe scheme at the transition of involving the metastable state. With two-stage laser interaction and a reference measurement we can eliminate systematic effects such as differences in the contact potentials due to different electrode materials and thermoelectric voltages, and the unknown starting potential of the ions in the ion source. Voltage measurements were performed between  −5 kV and  −19 kV and parallel measurements with stable high-voltage dividers calibrated to 5 ppm relative uncertainty were used as a reference. Our measurements are compatible with the uncertainty limits of the high-voltage dividers and demonstrate an unprecedented (factor of 20) increase in the precision of direct laser-based high-voltage measurements.

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Wavelength meters are widely used for frequency determinations and stabilization purposes since they cover a large wavelength range, provide a high read-out rate and have specified accuracies of up to 10 −8 . More accurate optical frequency measurements can be achieved with frequency combs but only at the price of considerably higher costs and complexity. In the context of precise and accurate frequency determinations for high-resolution laser spectroscopy, the performance of five different wavelength meters was quantified with respect to a frequency comb. The relative precision as well as the absolute accuracy has been investigated in detail, allowing us to give a sophisticated uncertainty margin for the individual instruments. We encountered a prominent substructure on the deviation between both device types with an amplitude of a few MHz that is repeating on the GHz scale. This finally limits the precision of laser scans which are monitored and controlled with wavelength meters. While quantifying its uncertainty margins, we found a high temporal stability in the characteristics of the wavelength meters which enables the preparation of wavelength-dependent adjustment curves for wide-and short-ranged scans. With this method, the absolute accuracy of wavelength meters can be raised up to the MHz level independently from the wavelength of the reference laser used for calibrating the device. Since this technique can be universally applied, it can lead to benefits in all fields of wavelength meter applications.