A new window on the atomic nucleus through high-precision atomic spectroscopy techniques.

This project will extend the precision frontier for measurements of the
atomic structure of radioactive nuclei by a factor of 1000 compared to
the current state-of-the art, with the aim of improving our
understanding of the motion and distribution of nucleons in
radioactive atomic nuclei. By using high-precision quantum optics
methods at radioactive beam facilities, combining lasers, ion traps
and radiofrequency fields, new nuclear observables can be studied
for the first time in radioactive isotopes and molecules. Those
observables will be used to challenge modern nuclear and particle
physics theories. On the nuclear level, further insight will be gained
into the yet not well understood nuclear force that binds protons and
neutrons in complex structures forming exotic isotopes. By
measuring these new nuclear observables in specific isotopes or
molecules that are sensitive to fundamental symmetry violations, new
ways to search for physics beyond the standard model will be
explored.
Technical developments at the home laboratory will be combined
with state-of-the art measurements at radioactive beam facilities, to
further enhance our understanding of the fundamental forces in
nature.