Studying Antimatter Gravity with Muonium

TL;DR

This paper discusses the development of a precision atom interferometer using muonium to measure antimatter gravity, potentially achieving high accuracy and opening new avenues in fundamental physics research.

Contribution

It introduces a novel muonium-based interferometer setup capable of measuring antimatter gravity with high precision, a first for leptonic and second-generation matter.

Findings

Feasibility of a muonium interferometer with picometer alignment

Potential to measure antimatter gravity to 10% accuracy

First gravitational measurement of leptonic and second-generation matter

Abstract

The gravitational acceleration of antimatter, gbar, has yet to be directly measured; an unexpected outcome of its measurement could change our understanding of gravity, the universe, and the possibility of a fifth force. Three avenues are apparent for such a measurement: antihydrogen, positronium, and muonium, the last requiring a precision atom interferometer and novel muonium beam under development. The interferometer and its few-picometer alignment and calibration systems appear feasible. With 100 nm grating pitch, measurements of gbar to 10%, 1%, or better can be envisioned. These could constitute the first gravitational measurements of leptonic matter, of 2nd-generation matter, and possibly, of antimatter.