Accurate lineshape spectroscopy and the Boltzmann constant

G.-W. Truong (), J. D. Anstie, E. F. May, T. M. Stace () and A. N. Luiten ()
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G.-W. Truong: Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and School of Chemistry and Physics, The University of Adelaide
J. D. Anstie: Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and School of Chemistry and Physics, The University of Adelaide
E. F. May: Centre for Energy, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, The University of Western Australia
T. M. Stace: ARC Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems, University of Queensland
A. N. Luiten: Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and School of Chemistry and Physics, The University of Adelaide

Nature Communications, 2015, vol. 6, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Spectroscopy has an illustrious history delivering serendipitous discoveries and providing a stringent testbed for new physical predictions, including applications from trace materials detection, to understanding the atmospheres of stars and planets, and even constraining cosmological models. Reaching fundamental-noise limits permits optimal extraction of spectroscopic information from an absorption measurement. Here, we demonstrate a quantum-limited spectrometer that delivers high-precision measurements of the absorption lineshape. These measurements yield a very accurate measurement of the excited-state (6P1/2) hyperfine splitting in Cs, and reveals a breakdown in the well-known Voigt spectral profile. We develop a theoretical model that accounts for this breakdown, explaining the observations to within the shot-noise limit. Our model enables us to infer the thermal velocity dispersion of the Cs vapour with an uncertainty of 35 p.p.m. within an hour. This allows us to determine a value for Boltzmann’s constant with a precision of 6 p.p.m., and an uncertainty of 71 p.p.m.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9345

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