Highly-charged ions for atomic clocks, quantum information, and search for $\alpha$-variation

TL;DR

This paper identifies specific highly-charged ions with suitable properties for advanced atomic clocks, quantum information, and detecting variations in the fine-structure constant, emphasizing their long-lived states and high sensitivity.

Contribution

It proposes ten promising highly-charged ions with detailed properties for experimental use in atomic clocks, quantum info, and fundamental physics tests.

Findings

Identified ions with long-lived metastable states

Predicted transition frequencies suitable for experiments

Highlighted ions with high sensitivity to $eta$-variation

Abstract

We propose 10 highly-charged ions as candidates for the development of next generation atomic clocks, quantum information, and search for $\alpha$-variation. They have long-lived metastable states with transition frequencies to the ground state between 170-3000 nm, relatively simple electronic structure, stable isotopes and high sensitivity to $\alpha$-variation (e.g., Sm$^{14+}$, Pr$^{10+}$, Sm$^{13+}$, Nd$^{10+}$). We predict their properties crucial for the experimental exploration and highlight particularly attractive systems for these applications.