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    Precision continuous-wave laser measurement of the 13S1→23S1 interval in positronium

    Lucas de Sousa Borges*, Edward Thorpe-Woods†, Evans Javary‡, and Paolo Crivelli§

    • *Contact author: lucas.borges@phys.ethz.ch
    • †Contact author: ethorpe@ethz.ch
    • ‡Contact author: ejavary@ethz.ch
    • §Contact author: crivelli@phys.ethz.ch

    Phys. Rev. A 113, 032804 – Published 2 March, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gq2l-9rh8

    Abstract

    We report a 4.9-ppb measurement of the positronium 13S1→23S1 interval using continuous-wave two-photon laser spectroscopy. The transition is detected via photoionization by the same excitation laser. The resulting positrons are guided to a microchannel plate detector, surrounded by scintillators to detect the annihilation photons in coincidence, thereby reducing the background. A Monte Carlo line-shape simulation, accounting for effects such as the second-order Doppler shift and the AC Stark shift, is used to extract a transition frequency of 1233607224.1(6.0)MHz, consistent with the previous 2.6-ppb determination of this transition and with the most recent QED calculations at order O[α7ln2(1/α)], which predict 1233607222.12(58)MHz. Combining the two measurements gives 1233607218.1(2.8)MHz, reducing the tension with QED to about 1.4σ. We also present a semianalytical line-shape model of 13S1→23S1 of positronium, which shows excellent agreement with detailed simulations and is validated by the experimental data. This expands on previous work with stable atoms by incorporating effects such as limited lifetime of the atoms, photoionization, and AC Stark shift. The line-shape modeling is also applicable to other unstable systems, such as muonium. This provides a powerful tool for optimizing the experimental parameters and gaining deeper insights without the need for computationally intensive simulations.

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