Within the framework of QED theory at finite temperature the thermal radiative corrections to spontaneous one-photon transition rates in hydrogen atom are investigated. The radiative one-loop self-energy corrections are described in the thermal case. Closed analytical expressions are derived and their numerical calculations for the spontaneous decay rate of the $ 2p $ state are carried out. Dominance of thermal radiative corrections to spontaneous Ly$_α $ decay rate over ordinary induced transition rate up to temperatures $ T < 6000 $ K is demonstrated.
We use the radiative potential method to perform a detailed study of quantum electrodynamics (QED) radiative corrections to electric dipole (E1) transition amplitudes in heavy alkali-metal atoms Rb, Cs, Fr, and alkali-metal-like ions Sr+, Ba+, and Ra+. The validity of the method is checked by comparing with the results of rigorous QED in simple atomic potentials. We study the effects of core relaxation, polarization of the core by the E1 field, and valence-core correlations on QED, which are shown to be important in some cases. We identify several transitions for which the QED contribution exc…
The quantum electrodynamic correction to the energy of the hydrogen molecule has been evaluated without expansion in the electron-proton mass ratio. The obtained results significantly improve the accuracy of theoretical predictions reaching the level of 1 MHz for the dissociation energy, in a very good agreement with the parallel measurement [Hölsch et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 103002 (2019)]. Molecular hydrogen has thus become a cornerstone of ultraprecise quantum chemistry, which opens perspectives for determination of fundamental physical constants from its spectra.
The largest contributions to the $n=2$ Lamb-shift, fine structure interval and $2s$ hyperfine structure of muonic hydrogen are calculated by exact numerical evaluations of the Dirac equation, rather than by a perturbation expansion in powers of $1/c$, in the framework of non-relativistic quantum electrodynamics. Previous calculations and the validity of the perturbation expansion for light elements are confirmed. The dependence of the various effects on the nuclear size and model are studied
Ab initio calculations of QED radiative corrections to the $^2P_{1/2}$ - $^2P_{3/2}$ fine-structure transition energy are performed for selected F-like ions. These calculations are nonperturbative in $αZ$ and include all first-order and many-electron second-order effects in $α$. When compared to approximate QED computations, a notable discrepancy is found especially for F-like uranium for which the predicted self-energy contributions even differ in sign. Moreover, all deviations between theory and experiment for the $^2P_{1/2}$ - $^2P_{3/2}$ fine-structure energies of F-like ions, reported rec…
The purpose of this article is twofold. First, we attempt to give a brief overview of the different application areas of quantum electrodynamics (QED). These include fundamental physics (prediction of atomic energy levels), where the atom may be exposed to additional external fields (hyperfine splitting and g factor). We also mention QED processes in highly intense laser fields, and more applied areas like Casimir and Casimir--Polder interactions. Both the unifying aspects as well as the differences in the the theoretical treatment required by these application areas (such as the treatment of …
We develop {\it ab initio} relativistic QED theory for elastic electron scattering on hydrogen-like highly charged ions for impact energies where, in addition to direct (Coulomb) scattering, the process can also proceed via formation and consequent Auger decay of autoionizing states of the corresponding helium-like ions. Even so the primary goal of the theory is to treat electron scattering on highly charged ions, a comparison with experiment shows that it can also be applied for relatively light ions covering thus a very broad range of the scattering systems. Using the theory we performed cal…
The shielding of the nuclear magnetic moment by the bound electron in hydrogen-like ions is calculated ab initio with inclusion of relativistic, nuclear, and quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects. The QED correction is evaluated to all orders in the nuclear binding strength parameter and, independently, to the first order in the expansion in this parameter. The results obtained lay the basis for the high-precision determination of nuclear magnetic dipole moments from measurements of the g-factor of hydrogen-like ions.
We perform highly accurate calculations of the leading order QED correction to the ground electronic state of molecular hydrogen. Numerical results are obtained for a grid of the internuclear distances $R=0-10$ au with the relative precision of about $10^{-8}$. The major numerical uncertainty of previous QED results [K. Piszczatowski et al., JCTC $\textbf{5}$, 3039 (2009)] has been eliminated. Nevertheless, the discrepancy with measurements in HD at the level of 1.9 $σ$ persists.
The self-energy and vertex QED radiative corrections (Z alpha^2 f(Z alpha)) are shown to give a large negative contribution to the parity nonconserving (PNC) amplitude in heavy atoms. The correction -0.7(2)% found for the 6s-7s PNC amplitude in Cs brings the experimental result for this transition into agreement with the standard model. The calculations are based on a new identity that expresses the radiative corrections to the PNC matrix element via corrections to the energy shifts induced by the finite nuclear size.
We derive an approximate expression for a "radiative potential" which can be used to calculate QED strong Coulomb field radiative corrections to energies and electric dipole (E1) transition amplitudes in many-electron atoms with an accuracy of a few percent. The expectation value of the radiative potential gives radiative corrections to the energies. Radiative corrections to E1 amplitudes can be expressed in terms of the radiative potential and its energy derivative (the low-energy theorem): the relative magnitude of the radiative potential contribution is ~alpha^3 Z^2 ln(1/(alpha^2 Z^2)), whi…
Comparison of precision frequency measurements to quantum electrodynamics (QED) predictions for Rydberg states of hydrogen-like ions can yield information on values of fundamental constants and test theory. With the results of a calculation of a key QED contribution reported here, the uncertainty in the theory of the energy levels is reduced to a level where such a comparison can yield an improved value of the Rydberg constant.
We report an ab initio calculation of the shielding of the nuclear magnetic moment by the bound electron in hydrogen-like ions. This investigation takes into account several effects that have not been calculated before (electron self-energy, vacuum polarization, nuclear magnetization distribution), thus bringing the theory to the point where further progress is impeded by the uncertainty due to nuclear-structure effects. The QED corrections are calculated to all orders in the nuclear binding strength parameter and, independently, to the leading order in the expansion in this parameter. The res…
The quantum electrodynamic theory of the nuclear recoil effect on the atomic g factor to all orders in αZ and to first order in m/M is formulated. The complete αZ-dependence formula for the recoil correction to the bound-electron g factor in a hydrogenlike atom is derived. This formula is used to calculate the recoil correction to the bound-electron g factor in the order (αZ)^2 m/M for an arbitrary state of a hydrogenlike atom.
We combine a limited number of accurately measured transition frequencies in hydrogen and deuterium, recent quantum electrodynamics (QED) calculations, and, as an essential additional ingredient, a generalized least-squares analysis, to obtain precise and optimal predictions for hydrogen and deuterium transition frequencies. Some of the predicted transition frequencies have relative uncertainties more than an order of magnitude smaller than that of the g-factor of the electron, which was previously the most accurate prediction of QED.
We present a derivation of the last unknown part of the $α^7m$ contribution to the Lamb shift of a two-electron atom, induced by the radiative QED effects beyond the Bethe logarithm. This derivation is performed in the framework of nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics and is valid for the triplet (spin $S = 1$) atomic states. The obtained formulas are free from any divergences and are suitable for a numerical evaluation. This opens a way for a complete numerical calculation of the $α^7m$ QED effects in helium, which will allow an accurate determination of the nuclear charge radius from meas…
We calculate vacuum polarization corrections to the binding energies in neutral alkali atoms Na through to the superheavy element E119. We employ the relativistic Hartree-Fock method to demonstrate the importance of relaxation of the electronic core and the correlation potential method to study the effects of second and higher orders of perturbation theory. These many-body effects are sizeable for all orbitals, though particularly important for orbitals with angular momentum quantum number l>0. The orders of magnitude enhancement for d waves produces shifts that, for Rb and the heavier element…
Radiative corrections to the 2E1 decay width of the 2s-state in the low-Z hydrogen-like system are examined within logarithmic approximation. The correction is found to be 2.025(1) alpha (Z alpha)^2 / pi log(Z alpha)^2 in units of the non-relativistic rate.
We calculate the one- and two-loop corrections of order alpha(Zalpha)^6 and alpha^2(Zalpha)^6 respectively, to the Lamb shift in hydrogen-like systems using the formalism of nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics. We obtain general results valid for all hydrogenic states with nonvanishing orbital angular momentum and for the normalized difference of S-states. These results involve the expectation value of local effective operators and relativistic corrections to Bethe logarithms. The one-loop correction is in agreement with previous calculations for the particular cases of S, P, and D states.…
The hyperfine structure (HFS) of a bound electron is modified by the self-interaction of the electron with its own radiation field. This effect is known as the self-energy correction. In this work, we discuss the evaluation of higher-order self-energy corrections to the HFS of bound P states. These are expressed in a semi-analytic expansion involving powers of Zalpha and ln(Zalpha), where Z is the nuclear charge number and alpha is the fine-structure constant. We find that the correction of relative order alpha (Zalpha)^2 involves only a single logarithm ln(Zalpha) for P_1/2 states [but no ter…
A method for calculating the electronic levels in the compact superheavy nuclear quasi-molecules, based on solving the two-center Dirac equation using the multipole expansion of two-center potential, is developed. For the internuclear distances up to $d\sim100$~fm such technique reveals a quite fast convergence and allows for computing the electronic levels in such systems with accuracy $\sim 10^{-6} $. The critical distances $R_{cr}$ between the nuclei for $1σ_g$ and $1σ_u$ electronic levels in the region $Z\simeq 87-100$ are calculated. By means of the same technique the shifts of electronic…
In this work, we consider the thermal correction to the hyperfine interaction in hydrogen, deuterium, and the $^3$He$^+$ ion. This correction is effectively described by one-loop Feynman graphs in the framework of the quantum electrodynamics theory for bound states at a finite temperature. A simple analysis shows the importance of the obtained results for future prospects for measuring hyperfine splitting. In addition, the application for testing the time variation of fundamental constants is briefly discussed.
The proton structure effects, including finite size, polarizability and self-energy is considered and their influence on energy levels of muonic hydrogen is recalculated. A new theoretical prediction for the Lamb shift is presented together with improved values of all known QED contributions.
The quantum electrodynamical theory of the three-photon transitions in hydrogen-like ions is presented. Emission probabilities of various three-photon decay channels for $ 2p_{3/2} $, $ 2p_{1/2} $ and $ 2s_{1/2} $ states are calculated for the nuclear charge $Z$ values $1\leqslant Z \leqslant 95$. The results are given in two different gauges. The fully relativistic three-photon decay rates of hydrogen-like ions with half-integer nuclear spin are given for transitions between fine structure components. The results can be applied to the tests of the Bose-Einstein statistics for the multiphoton …
A rigorous QED theory of the spectral line profiles is applied to transition probabilities in few-electron highly charged ions. Interelectron interaction corrections are included as well as radiative corrections. Parity nonconserving (PNC) amplitudes with effective weak interactions between the electrons and nucleus are also considered. QED and interelectron interaction corrections to the PNC amplitudes are derived.
The effective interaction of the electron magnetic moment anomaly with the Coulomb field of superheavy nuclei is investigated by taking into account its dynamical screening at small distances. The shift of the electronic levels, caused by this interaction, is considered for H-like atoms and for compact nuclear quasi-molecules, non-perturbatively both in $Zα$ and (partially) in $α/π$. It is shown that the levels shift reveals a non-monotonic behavior in the region $Zα>1$ and near the threshold of the lower continuum decreases both with the increasing the charge and with enlarging the size of th…
Quantum electrodynamical (QED) calculations of ionization energies of the $1snd\,D$ states are performed for the helium atom. We reproduce the previously known relativistic and QED effects up to order $mα^5$ and extend the theory by calculating the complete $mα^6$ correction. The total contribution of the $mα^6$ effects is shown to be much smaller than previously estimated, due to a large cancelation between the radiative and non-radiative parts of this correction. As a result of our calculations, we confirm the previously reported deviations between measured transition energies and theoretica…
The radiative correction to the nuclear charge radius contribution to the Lamb shift of order $α(Zα)^5m_r^3<r^2>$ is calculated. In view of the recent high precision experimental data, this theoretical correction produces a significant contribution to the hydrogen-deuterium isotopic shift.
We survey the results of a long-term study of the process of radiative recombination. A rigorous theory of nonrelativistic electron radiative recombination with a hydrogen-like ion is used to calculate the total cross section of the process, the effective radiation, the recombination rate coefficient, and the emission coefficient in a plasma with a Maxwellian electron distribution. The exact results are compared with the numerous known asymptotic and interpolation formulas. We propose interpolation formulas which ensure a uniform approximation of all mentioned quantities in a wide range of pla…
The hydrogen molecule has become a test ground for quantum electrodynamical calculations in molecules. Expanding beyond studies on stable hydrogenic species to the heavier radioactive tritium-bearing molecules, we report on a measurement of the fundamental T$_2$ vibrational splitting $(v= 0 \rightarrow 1)$ for $J=0-5$ rotational levels. Precision frequency metrology is performed with high-resolution coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy at an experimental uncertainty of $10-12$~MHz, where sub-Doppler saturation features are exploited for the strongest transition. The achieved accuracy corres…
QED theory of multiphoton cascade transitions in atoms and ions is developed. This theory allows for the accurate description of the process important for astrophysical studies of the cosmological hydrogen recombination. In particular the $ 3s\rightarrow1s+2γ$, $ 4s\rightarrow1s+2γ$ and $ 3p\rightarrow1s+3γ$ processes are considered and some controversies existing in the literature are resolved.
We present a brief overview of precision tests of bound state QED and mainly pay our attention to laser spectroscopy as an appropriate tool for these tests. We particularly consider different precision tests of bound state QED theory based on the laser spectroscopy of optical transitions in hydrogen, muonium and positronium and related experiments.
The Rydberg formula along with the Ritz quantum defect ansatz has been a standard theoretical tool used in atomic physics since before the advent of quantum mechanics, yet this approach has remained limited by its non-relativistic foundation. Here I present a long-distance relativistic effective theory describing hydrogen-like systems with arbitrary mass ratios, thereby extending the canonical Ritz-like approach. Fitting the relativistic theory to the hydrogen energy levels predicted by bound-state QED indicates that it is superior to the canonical, nonrelativistic approach. An analytic analys…
Recent progress in calculations of QED radiative corrections to parity nonconservation in atoms is reviewed. The QED vacuum polarization, the self-energy corrections and the vertex corrections are shown to be described very reliably by different methods used by different groups. All new calculations have recently converged to very close final values. Each separate radiative correction is very large, above 1 % for heavy atoms, but having different signs they partly compensate each other. Our results for the radiative corrections for all atoms are presented. The corrections are -0.54 % for 133 C…
The derivation of leading quantum electrodynamic corrections to the nuclear magnetic shielding in light hydrogen- and helium-like atomic systems is described in detail. The presented theoretical approach applies to any light atomic and molecular systems, enabling the determination of the magnetic moment of light nuclei with much higher precision than known presently.
A simple model based on QED is presented for the estimation of contribution of the excited level few-photon decays to the radiation escape from the matter in the epoch of the cosmological hydrogen recombination. It is shown that apart from the widely studied two-photon decays, some specific 3-photon decays can contribute on the level of 0.1% accuracy, required by the recent astrophysical observations.
Very brief summary of the most recent developments in an area of QED corrections to the parity nonconservation in atoms is presented. Main conclusion - experimental results of Wood et al do not contradict the standard model
