Daniel Elliott
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of Physics and Astronomy
Research Impact
In our laboratory, we carry out precision measurements of atomic parameters leading to an improved determination of the strength of the weak force interaction in cesium. The weak force mixes states of opposite symmetry, and therefore permits optical transitions between states that otherwise would be forbidden. Precision measurements of these transition strengths, combined with very accurate atomic theory, therefore allows us to determine the strength of the weak interaction between the cesium nucleus and its electrons. We are also setting up a measurement of the anapole moment of the nucleus, resulting from a parity odd current distribution in the nucleus, induced by the weak interaction between nucleons. Our measurement of this effect is based upon a measurement of an electric dipole transition between hyperfine levels of the ground state. We also carry out measurements of allowed transition strengths and hyperfine coupling constants in cesium, which guide atomic structure calculations that are necessary for interpretation of our laboratory measurements.