Observation of the hyperfine transition in lithium-like Bismuth 209Bi80+^{209}\text{Bi}^{80+}: Towards a test of QED in strong magnetic fields

We performed a laser spectroscopic determination of the $2s$ hyperfine splitting (HFS) of Li-like $^{209}\text{Bi}^{80+}$ and repeated the measurement of the $1s$ HFS of H-like $^{209}\text{Bi}^{82+}$. Both ion species were subsequently stored in the Experimental Storage Ring at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum f\"ur Schwerionenforschung Darmstadt and cooled with an electron cooler at a velocity of $\approx 0.71\,c$. Pulsed laser excitation of the $M1$ hyperfine-transition was performed in anticollinear and collinear geometry for $\text{Bi}^{82+}$ and $\text{Bi}^{80+}$, respectively, and observed by fluorescence detection. We obtain $\Delta E^{(1s)}= 5086.3(11)\,\textrm{meV}$ for $\text{Bi}^{82+}$, different from the literature value, and $\Delta E^{(2s)}= 797.50(18)\,\textrm{meV}$ for $\text{Bi}^{80+}$. These values provide experimental evidence that a specific difference between the two splitting energies can be used to test QED calculations in the strongest static magnetic fields available in the laboratory independent of nuclear structure effects. The experimental result is in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction and confirms the sum of the Dirac term and the relativistic interelectronic-interaction correction at a level of 0.5% confirming the importance of accounting for the Breit interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Laser spectroscopy measurement of the 2s-hyperfine splitting in lithium-like bismuth

We have recently reported on the first direct measurement of the $2s$ hyperfine transition in lithium-like bismuth (209Bi80+) at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany. Combined with a new measurement of the $1s$ hyperfine splitting (HFS) in hydrogen-like (209Bi82+) the so-called specific difference ${\rm{\Delta }}^{\prime} E=-61.37(36)$ meV could be determined and was found to be in good agreement with its prediction from strong-field bound-state quantum electrodynamics. Here we report on additional investigations performed to estimate systematic uncertainties of these results and on details of the experimental setup. We show that the dominating uncertainty arises from insufficient knowledge of the ion beam velocity which is determined by the electron-cooler voltage. Two routes to obtain a cooler-voltage calibration are discussed and it is shown that agreement can be reached either between the experimental ${\rm{\Delta }}^{\prime} E$ and the theoretical result, or between the two measurements of the HFS in hydrogen-like bismuth, but not both at the same time

High precision hyperfine measurements in Bismuth challenge bound-state strong-field QED

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