Physics Graduate Student Chuankun Zhang Presents on Nuclear Clock Research for a Physics Colloquium at CU ��«��Ƶ

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 23:09:20 +0000

Physics Graduate Student Chuankun Zhang Presents on Nuclear Clock Research for a Physics Colloquium at CU ��«��Ƶ Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/01/2024 - 17:09

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry

For the first lecture in the Fall Physics Colloquium Series, Chuankun Zhang, a graduate student from the ��«��Ƶ's physics department and a researcher at JILA, delivered an insightful talk titled “Optical Nuclear Clock: Nuclear Physics Meets Metrology”.

“It’s a rare opportunity and a very special occasion for a grad student to present a talk at a physics colloquium,” explained Zhang. “I felt super excited. I think people enjoyed the talk and our research.”

CU ��«��Ƶ Physics professor and JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye, a leading figure in quantum physics, hosted Zhang’s presentation. The talk discussed some of the groundbreaking research done by Zhang and other members of Ye’s thorium clock team, which was recently published as Nature's cover article.

Zhang’s talk focused on the latest advancements in using lasers to measure and control the behavior of atoms, which is essential for studying critical quantum phenomena. He highlighted a significant breakthrough involving the thorium-229 nucleus, where the team used a highly specialized laser to examine nuclear energy levels with incredible precision for the first time. This measurement was achieved thanks to a cutting-edge tool, a laser frequency comb that works in a very short wavelength of light.

Zhang explained how he and the team precisely measured the thorium nuclear clock transition and connected it to the most accurate atomic clock in the world, which uses the element strontium-87. This connection between nuclear physics and precision timekeeping is not just an impressive scientific accomplishment—it could lead to new ways to test fundamental theories in physics. Additionally, it holds the potential to create extremely reliable timing devices that could be used in various important applications.

“This is just the beginning of this new field,” Zhang added. “There are many things that we can do now. We’re improving our laser to get an even better resolution on this newly found nuclear transition. We are also collaborating with different groups and trying other thorium samples to see how the different material changes the transition. We also closely work with theorists to interpret our data and its fundamental physics implications.”

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Physics Graduate Student Chuankun Zhang Presents on Nuclear Clock Research for a Physics Colloquium at CU ��«����Ƶ

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Physics Graduate Student Chuankun Zhang Presents on Nuclear Clock Research for a Physics Colloquium at CU ��«��Ƶ