Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Charles Cheung
  • Sergey G. Porsev
  • Dmytro Filin
  • Marianna S. Safronova
  • Malte Wehrheim
  • Lukas J. Spieß
  • Shuying Chen
  • Alexander Wilzewski
  • José R. Crespo López-Urrutia
  • Piet O. Schmidt

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • University of Delaware
  • Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB
  • Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number093002
Pages (from-to)93002
Number of pages1
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume135
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - 28 Aug 2025

Abstract

The Ni12+ ion features an electronic transition with a natural width of only 8 mHz, allowing for a highly stable optical clock. We predict that the energy of this strongly forbidden 3⁢𝑠2⁢3⁢𝑝4  3 𝑃 2→3⁢𝑠2⁢3⁢𝑝4  3 𝑃 0 electric quadrupole transition is 20 081⁢(10)  cm−1. For this, we use both a hybrid approach combining configuration interaction with a coupled-cluster method and a pure configuration interaction calculation for the complete 16-electron system, ensuring convergence. The resulting very small theoretical uncertainty of only 0.05% allowed us to find the transition experimentally in a few hours, yielding an energy of 20 078.984⁢(10)  cm−1. This level of agreement for a 16-electron system is unprecedented and qualifies our method for future calculations of many other complex atomic systems. While paving the way for a high-precision optical clock based on Ni12+, our theory and code development will also enable better predictions for other highly charged ions and other complex atomic systems.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock. / Cheung, Charles; Porsev, Sergey G.; Filin, Dmytro et al.
In: Physical review letters, Vol. 135, No. 9, 093002, 28.08.2025, p. 93002.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Cheung, C, Porsev, SG, Filin, D, Safronova, MS, Wehrheim, M, Spieß, LJ, Chen, S, Wilzewski, A, López-Urrutia, JRC & Schmidt, PO 2025, 'Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock', Physical review letters, vol. 135, no. 9, 093002, pp. 93002. https://doi.org/10.1103/flwf-c2m1
Cheung, C., Porsev, S. G., Filin, D., Safronova, M. S., Wehrheim, M., Spieß, L. J., Chen, S., Wilzewski, A., López-Urrutia, J. R. C., & Schmidt, P. O. (2025). Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock. Physical review letters, 135(9), 93002. Article 093002. https://doi.org/10.1103/flwf-c2m1
Cheung C, Porsev SG, Filin D, Safronova MS, Wehrheim M, Spieß LJ et al. Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock. Physical review letters. 2025 Aug 28;135(9):93002. 093002. doi: 10.1103/flwf-c2m1
Cheung, Charles ; Porsev, Sergey G. ; Filin, Dmytro et al. / Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock. In: Physical review letters. 2025 ; Vol. 135, No. 9. pp. 93002.
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abstract = "The Ni12+ ion features an electronic transition with a natural width of only 8 mHz, allowing for a highly stable optical clock. We predict that the energy of this strongly forbidden 3⁢𝑠2⁢3⁢𝑝4  3 𝑃 2→3⁢𝑠2⁢3⁢𝑝4  3 𝑃 0 electric quadrupole transition is 20 081⁢(10)  cm−1. For this, we use both a hybrid approach combining configuration interaction with a coupled-cluster method and a pure configuration interaction calculation for the complete 16-electron system, ensuring convergence. The resulting very small theoretical uncertainty of only 0.05% allowed us to find the transition experimentally in a few hours, yielding an energy of 20 078.984⁢(10)  cm−1. This level of agreement for a 16-electron system is unprecedented and qualifies our method for future calculations of many other complex atomic systems. While paving the way for a high-precision optical clock based on Ni12+, our theory and code development will also enable better predictions for other highly charged ions and other complex atomic systems.",
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T1 - Finding the Ultranarrow P32→P30 Electric Quadrupole Transition in Ni12+ Ion for an Optical Clock

AU - Cheung, Charles

AU - Porsev, Sergey G.

AU - Filin, Dmytro

AU - Safronova, Marianna S.

AU - Wehrheim, Malte

AU - Spieß, Lukas J.

AU - Chen, Shuying

AU - Wilzewski, Alexander

AU - López-Urrutia, José R. Crespo

AU - Schmidt, Piet O.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 American Physical Society.

PY - 2025/8/28

Y1 - 2025/8/28

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