🔬 Category

physics.atom-ph

728 papers

The subatomic world is a realm where matter behaves in ways that defy our everyday intuition, and this category explores the fundamental building blocks of our universe. From the intricate dance of quarks inside a proton to the strange properties of electrons, these studies reveal the deep rules that govern everything from the smallest particles to the largest stars.

At Gist.Science, we track every new preprint in this field as it appears on arXiv, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve. For each discovery, we provide both a clear, plain-language explanation of the core ideas and a detailed technical summary for those who want to dive deeper into the mathematics and methodology.

Below are the latest papers in Atom-Ph, offering fresh insights into the structure and behavior of the atomic scale.

🔬 atomic physics

Limits of Statistical Models of Ultracold Complex Lifetimes

This paper proposes a statistical model combining random matrix theory and quantum defect theory to simulate ultracold molecular collision complexes, finding that while it aligns with RRKM predictions in the dense resonance limit, it reveals that sparse resonance physics is governed by threshold behavior, suggesting that traditional close-coupling calculations alone may be insufficient to explain the mystery of long-lived "sticky collisions."

Kevin B. Xu, John L. Bohn2026-04-15
🔬 atomic physics

Energies and lifetimes of the 9p and 10p excited states in atomic francium

This paper reports the first experimental measurements of the absolute wavenumbers and radiative lifetimes for the 9p and 10p excited states in francium using Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy, providing a precise test of relativistic coupled-cluster theory that shows good agreement for lifetimes and relative energies despite a small offset in absolute energies.

P. Lassègues, A. Ajayakumar, M. Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis, O. Ahmad, M. Au, J. Berbalk, D. Bettaney, B. van den Borne, A. (…)2026-04-15
🔬 atomic physics

Interferometrically Enhanced Asymmetry in Strong-field Ionization with Bright Squeezed Vacuum

This paper demonstrates that using a weak bright squeezed vacuum field alongside a strong coherent driver can enhance strong-field ionization asymmetries by orders of magnitude compared to classical fields, a quantum effect driven by nonclassical field statistics that selectively modifies tunneling probabilities to enable the reconstruction of sub-cycle ionization dynamics.

G. Singh, T. Rook, J. Rivera-Dean, C. Figueira de Morisson Faria2026-04-15
🔬 atomic physics

A stable phase-locking-free single beam optical lattice with multiple configurations

This paper presents a stable, phase-locking-free method for generating optical lattices by passing a single laser beam through a prism with n-fold symmetric facets, successfully demonstrating various configurations like triangular and ten-fold quasi-crystal lattices with minimal lattice constant variation and positional drift.

Yirong Wang, Xiaoyu Dai, Xue Zhao, Guangren Sun, Kuiyi Gao, Wei Zhang2026-04-14
🔬 atomic physics

Applications of the Quantum Phase Difference Estimation Algorithm to the Excitation Energies in Spin Systems on a NISQ Device

This paper demonstrates the practical viability of a novel, constant-depth Quantum Phase Difference Estimation (QPDE) algorithm for accurately calculating excitation energy gaps in diverse spin systems on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices, achieving 85% to 93% accuracy through advanced noise suppression techniques.

Boni Paul, Sudhindu Bikash Mandal, Kenji Sugisaki, B. P. Das2026-04-14
🔬 atomic physics

K-shell ionization and characteristic x-ray radiation by high-energy electrons and positrons in oriented silicon crystals

This paper presents a detailed computer simulation method to investigate the non-monotonic evolution of K-shell ionization and characteristic x-ray radiation angular distributions from high-energy electrons and positrons traversing oriented silicon crystals across a wide energy range (1–1000 GeV), with a specific focus on the underlying physical mechanisms such as dechanneling.

S. V. Trofymenko, I. V. Kyryllin2026-04-14