Cited by 1,138Atomic and Molecular PhysicsScientific Measurement and Uncertainty EvaluationParticle physics theoretical and experimental studies

New measurement of the electron magnetic moment and the fine structure constant

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Hanneke, D., Fogwell, S., Gabrielse, G.·2008·Physical Review Letters

Abstract

A measurement using a one-electron quantum cyclotron gives the electron magnetic moment in Bohr magnetons, g/2=1.001 159 652 180 73 (28) [0.28 ppt], with an uncertainty 2.7 and 15 times smaller than for previous measurements in 2006 and 1987. The electron is used as a magnetometer to allow line shape statistics to accumulate, and its spontaneous emission rate determines the correction for its interaction with a cylindrical trap cavity. The new measurement and QED theory determine the fine structure constant, with alpha{-1}=137.035 999 084 (51) [0.37 ppb], and an uncertainty 20 times smaller than for any independent determination of alpha.

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Crossref · 10.1103/physrevlett.100.120801

Cites

20 of 20 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Penning traps are a well-established tool for precision spectroscopy with small numbers of ions.

    “Penning traps are a well-established tool for precision spectroscopy with small numbers of ions25–28”

    From Penning micro-trap for quantum computing (2024) · cites this paper as [27]

    The Abstract and Fig. 2 describe a cylindrical Penning trap confining a single electron, and Fig. 4 shows quantum-jump spectroscopy in that trap. This supports Penning traps as a precision-spectroscopy tool for a single particle, but this paper studies an electron, not small numbers of ions. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The magnetic field reported in Eq. (18) is a gradient-free magnetic bottle, with a curvature about six times smaller than the one used for measuring the g-factor of the free electron and about 20 times smaller than that in the first observation of the continuous Stern-Gerlach effect with a highly charged ion.

    “The magnetic field reported in Eq. ( 18) is a gradient-free magnetic bottle, with a curvature about six times smaller than the one used for measuring the g-factor of the free electron 35 and about 20 times smaller than that in the first observation of the continuous Stern-Gerlach effect with a highly charged ion.36”

    From Planar, strong magnetic field source for a chip ion trap (2020) · cites this paper as [35]

    The paper’s magnetic-bottle discussion (arXiv full-text section; page not given) confirms that a magnetic bottle was used in the free-electron g-factor measurement. It gives no bottle curvature or value establishing the approximately sixfold comparison attributed to citation 35. The highly charged ion comparison is attached to citation 36, not this source. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The methods used to cool an electron's cyclotron motion to its quantum ground state should also work for more trapped electrons.

    “Harvard experiments [3, 7] cool an electron's cyclotron motion to its quantum ground state, using methods that should also work for more trapped electrons.”

    From Towards electron-electron entanglement in Penning traps (2010) · cites this paper as [3]

    The paper’s discussion of quantum-jump spectroscopy (page not available in our copy) says a single trapped electron is prepared in its lowest cyclotron level, n = 0. It does not say that the methods should work for more trapped electrons. Its closing discussion instead proposes future cooling of the axial motion, a different motion, toward its ground state. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • At low temperature in a large magnetic field (100 mK and 6 T), the cyclotron motion of an electron in a Penning trap radiatively cools to the ground state.

    “This is possible because at low temperature in a large magnetic field (100 mK and 6 T in Harvard experiments [3]) the cyclotron motion radiatively cools to the ground state.”

    From Towards electron-electron entanglement in Penning traps (2010) · cites this paper as [3]

    The paper’s discussion of quantum-jump spectroscopy (page unavailable) says the electron is prepared in the cyclotron ground state and that cyclotron excitations undergo spontaneous emission. It also says trap electrodes cool to 0.1 K, but does not specify a 6 T field or state that radiative cooling is how the ground state is reached. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The electrons remain near their equilibrium positions because at 100 mK the cyclotron motion cools to its ground state by synchrotron radiation and the thermal axial excursion is much less than the radial separation x0.

    “The electrons remain near their equilibrium positions because at 100 mK, reachable in principle with current dilution refrigerator technology [3], the cyclotron motion cools to its ground state by synchrotron radiation and the thermal axial excursion is much less than the radial separation x 0 .”

    From Towards electron-electron entanglement in Penning traps (2010) · cites this paper as [3]

    The section on electron–cavity interactions (page unavailable) says the trap electrodes cool to 0.1 K, supporting the feasibility of reaching 100 mK in this apparatus. It does not identify dilution-refrigerator technology as the means of reaching that temperature, which is the specific point attached to this citation. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 20

  1. [1]1. R. S. Van Dyck, Jr., P. B. Schwinberg, and H. G. Dehmelt, Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 26 (1987).
  2. [2]2. B. Odom, D. Hanneke, B. D'Urso, and G. Gabrielse, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 030801 (2006).
  3. [3]3. S. Peil and G. Gabrielse, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 1287 (1999).
  4. [4]4. G. Gabrielse and F. C. MacKintosh, Intl. J. of Mass Spec. and Ion Proc. 57, 1 (1984).
  5. [5]5. G. Gabrielse and H. Dehmelt, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 67 (1985).
  6. [6]6. B. D'Urso, R. Van Handel, B. Odom, D. Hanneke, and G. Gabrielse, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 113002 (2005).
  7. [7]7. T. Aoyama, M. Hayakawa, T. Kinoshita, and M. Nio, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 110406 (2007).
  8. [8]8. C. Boehm and J. Silk, arXiv:0708.2768v1 [hep-ph](2007). · arXiv
  9. [9]9. L. S. Brown and G. Gabrielse, Phys. Rev. A 25, 2423 (1982).
  10. [10]10. F. L. Palmer, Phys. Rev. A 47, 2610 (1993).
  11. [11]11. L. S. Brown, Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 159, 62 (1985).
  12. [12]12. J. N. Tan and G. Gabrielse, Appl. Phys. Lett. 55, 2144 (1989).
  13. [13]13. D. G. Boulware, L. S. Brown, and T. Lee, Phys. Rev. D 32, 729 (1985).
  14. [14]14. L. S. Brown, G. Gabrielse, K. Helmerson, and J. Tan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 44 (1985).
  15. [15]15. G. W. Bennett and et al., Phys. Rev. D 73, 072003 (2006).
  16. [16]16. P. J. Mohr and B. N. Taylor, Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 1 (2005).
  17. [17]17. G. Gabrielse, D. Hanneke, T. Kinoshita, M. Nio, and B. Odom, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 030802 (2006), ibid. 99, 039902 (2007).
  18. [18]18. P. Cladé, E. de Mirandes, M. Cadoret, S. Guellati- Khélifa, C. Schwob, F. Nez, L. Julien, and F. Biraben, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 033001 (2006), Phys. Rev. A 74, 052109 (2006).
  19. [19]19. V. Gerginov, K. Calkins, C. E. Tanner, J. J. McFerran, S. Diddams, A. Bartels, and L. Hollberg, Phys. Rev. A 73, 032504 (2006).
  20. [21]21. D. Hanneke, PhD thesis, Harvard (2007).

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Authors
Hanneke, D., Fogwell, S., & Gabrielse, G.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Venue
Physical Review Letters
Published
2008-03-26
Volume
100
Issue
12
Pages
120801-120801
ISSN
  • 0031-9007 (ISSN-L)
  • 1079-7114
OpenAlex
W2105732215
Cited by
1,138
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 37 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 69 · 2022: 94 · 2021: 102 · 2020: 102 · 2019: 91 · 2018: 71 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 61 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 68
FWCI
34.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Physical Review Letters (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Atomic and Molecular Physics
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Scientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies
Keywords
electron magnetic moment, fine-structure constant, spontaneous emission, QED predictions

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