PhD project: Quantum Technologies for Neutrino Mass

Supervisor: Prof. Ruben Saakyan

The ability to measure the absolute neutrino mass in a laboratory environment is one of the most important challenges in modern particle physics. Results from neutrino experiments indicate that the mass can be anywhere between 0.01 and 1 eV. Current leading techniques cannot be extended to probe the mass below 0.2 eV. This limitation can be overcome with the use of recent advances in quantum technologies.

In this approach tritium atoms will be brought to a standstill in a magnetic trap and the energy of the electrons emitted in tritium beta-decay will be determined by measuring the frequency of EM radiation generated as a result of the electron’s cyclotron motion in a magnetic field. By analysing the electron spectrum near the end-point of beta decay one can infer the neutrino mass value in a model independent way.

This technology, known as Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), was pioneered by the Project 8 collaboration. UCL is leading the QTNM experiment (Quantum Technologies for Neutrino Mass) that was recently awarded a grant to pursue this technique. The specific goal of the programme is to develop an apparatus that can demonstrate this technology with deuterium atoms that is transferrable to tritium atoms. The CRES Demonstrator Apparatus (CRESDA) will be built and operated at UCL with the view to move it to a facility that can handle large amounts of radioactive tritium (such is the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy) to perform the neutrino mass measurement.

The PhD project will include:
  • Neutrino mass sensitivity studies of a CRES-based experiment
  • Modelling of tritium decay in the trap.
  • Simulations of behaviour of atoms and electrons in a strong magnetic field and their evaluation against laboratory data.
  • Calibration of CRESDA response.
  • Modelling of RF-radiation from electron’s cyclotron motion reconstructing the full chain from emission through propagation and detection.

    For more details please contact r.saakyan at ucl.ac.uk