Fundamental Interactions and Symmetries (TRIµP)

The TRIµP group studies fundamental interactions and symmetries. It uses the most precise tools currently available: trapping and cooling of ions, atoms, and molecules using lasers and other advanced tools. We need cold particles so that they are almost at rest. Particle properties can be measured very precisely then. The particles are micro laboratories to search for minute deviations from properties predicted by the known forces of nature. In particular observing violation of mirror symmetry and time reversal symmetry is important. Where particle physicists look for new physics at high energy (CERN, Geneve), we can look for new physics in cold particles using precision tools.

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For a lay audience we have tried to explain what the fundamental symmetries, Parity, Charge Conjugation and Time Reversal are in a short (Dutch) movie:

Click here to go to the movie on YouTube.

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Hot News! May 2013

The TRIµP group has achieved capturing a single barium ion in a Paul trap. The images show Coulomb crystals formed by a decreasing number of laser-cooled ions as detected with an EMCCD camera. This forms an important step towards the planned experiments on single radium ions to measure atomic parity violation and build an ultra-stable optical clock.

You can navigate quickly to the parts that may interest you most. Either via the Physics topics or the Methods topic.

The KVI hosted the ssp2012 conference in June 2012. Click here to go to the proceedings.