Experimental Physics: Fully Funded, 3.5-year PhD Studentship in Antihydrogen Physics with the ALPHA Experiment at CERN

This project aims to improve the precision of antihydrogen spectroscopy in the ALPHA apparatus at CERN. The ALPHA collaboration is world-leading in studies of antihydrogen as a probe of matter and antimatter symmetry. Antihydrogen is made by merging cold antiprotons and positrons in a Penning-Malmberg trap. The antihydrogen atoms are trapped in a magnetic minimum trap where they can be exposed to both microwave and laser fields to probe their energy structure, or to carefully tailored magnetic fields to reveal their behaviour due to gravity. Aided by laser-cooled beryllium ions and laser cooling of the formed antihydrogen, the process now produces large ultracold samples of antihydrogen, which allows determining the energy spectrum of antihydrogen with improved sensitivity. Comparing the result with ordinary hydrogen constitutes a stringent test of fundamental symmetry. Most notably, the 1S-2S energy interval has been shown to agree with hydrogen to a few parts in a trillion, with the uncertainty dominated by antihydrogen. Supported by state-of-the-art frequency metrology, the collaboration now aims to improve the uncertainty in antihydrogen to reproduce or surpass the result in hydrogen to achieve the most precise test of fundamental symmetry to date. The excited state spectrum can also be probed, granting access to precision measurements of fundamental properties of the nucleus such as the antiproton charge radius. The successful candidate will focus on one or more of the above aspects and take them to their full potential. This studentship is based at the ALPHA experiment at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.

The ALPHA collaboration consists of around 60 researchers, with around 20 permanently based at CERN, where the experiment is located. The student will join this international team of experts as part of the substantial Swansea team at CERN.

Funding duration: 3.5 years 

Funding Comment: Includes annual stipend at UKRI rate, an overseas allowance of £10,000 p.a. for 3.5 years, plus up to £1,000 yearly for research costs.

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