Proton transport from the antimatter factory of CERN
Autor(in); Institution
Leonhardt, M.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY; Ulmer Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, RIKEN, JAPAN
Schweitzer, D.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY; Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, GERMANY
Abbass, F.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY; Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, GERMANY
Erlewein, S.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY; CERN, Genf, SWITZERLAND
Endoh, S.; Ulmer Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, RIKEN, JAPAN; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JAPAN
Geissler, P.; Ulmer Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, RIKEN, JAPAN
Imamura, Tomoka; QUEST Institute for Experimental Quantum Metrology, PTB-Braunschweig; Leibniz Universität, Institut für Quantenoptik, Hannover, GERMANY
Jäger, J. I.; Max-Planck Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, GERMANY; CERN, Geneva, SWITZERLAND
Latacz, B. M.; CERN, Geneva, SWITZERLAND
Micke, Peter; Max-Planck Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, GERMANY; CERN, Geneva, SWITZERLAND; Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena, Jena, GERMANY
Voelksen, F.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY
Yildiz, H.; Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, GERMANY
Blaum, K.; Max-Planck Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg, GERMANY
Devlin, J. A.; Imperial College, London, UK
Matsuda, Y.; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, JAPAN
Ospelkaus, Christian; QUEST Institute for Experimental Quantum Metrology, PTB-Braunschweig; Leibniz Universität, Institut für Quantenoptik, Hannover, GERMANY
Quint, W.; GSI Darmstadt, Darmstadt, GERMANY
Soter, A.; ETH Zurich, Zurich, SWITZERLAND
Walz, J.; Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, GERMANY; Helmholtz Institut Mainz, Mainz, GERMANY
Yamazaki, Y.; Ulmer Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, RIKEN, JAPAN
Ulmer, S.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY; Ulmer Fundamental Symmetries Laboratory, RIKEN, JAPAN
Smorra, C.; Institut für Experimentalphysik, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, GERMANY
Precision measurements using low-energy antiprotons, exclusively available at the antimatter factory (AMF) of CERN, offer stringent tests of charge–parity–time (CPT) invariance, which is a fundamental symmetry in the Standard Model of particle physics. These tests have been realized, for example, in antiprotonic helium and antihydrogen4. In our cryogenic Penning-trap experiments, we measure the magnetic moments, and charge-to-mass ratios of protons and antiprotons and now provide the most precise test of CPT invariance in the baryon sector. Our experiments are limited by magnetic field fluctuations imposed by the decelerators in the AMF; therefore, we are advancing the relocation of antiprotons to dedicated precision laboratories. Here we present the successful transport of a trapped proton cloud from the AMF using BASE-STEP—a transportable, superconducting, autonomous and open Penning-trap system that can distribute antiprotons into other experiments. We transferred the trapped protons from our experimental area at the AMF onto a truck and transported them across the Meyrin site of CERN, demonstrating autonomous operation without external power for 4 h and loss-free proton relocation. We thereby confirm the feasibility of transferring particles into low-noise laboratories in the vicinity of the AMF and of using a power generator on the truck to reach laboratories throughout Europe. This marks the potential start of a new era in precision antimatter research, enabling low-noise measurements of antiprotons, the charged antimatter ions and, and other accelerator-produced ions, such as hydrogen-like lead or uranium ions.
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Open Access Hybrid
Rechteinformation
CC BY 4.0 ; Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Themenbereich der Metrologie
Zeit und Frequenz
Innovationscluster
Quantentechnologie
Geschäftsfelder
Grundlagen der Metrologie
Zitierung
Leonhardt, M., Schweitzer, D., Abbass, F., Anjum, K. K., Arndt, B., Erlewein, S., Endoh, S., Geissler, P., Imamura, T., Jäger, J. I., Latacz, B. M., Micke, P., Voelksen, F., Yildiz, H., Blaum, K., Devlin, J. A., Matsuda, Y., Ospelkaus, C., Quint, W., Soter, A., Walz, J., Yamazaki, Y., Ulmer, S., & Smorra, C. (2025). Proton transport from the antimatter factory of CERN. Nature, 641, 871–875. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08926-y
