Project Grant 2216133

This $349,909 National Science Foundation project grant supports the acquisition of a frequency quadrupled titanium sapphire laser system for atomic, molecular, and optical physics research at Bucknell University. The laser will cover significant sections of the 250-1000 nm spectral window and be integrated into the university's atomic, molecular and optical physics lab. It will be used for precision isotope shift measurements motivated by searches for new fundamental particles and forces, as well as molecular spectroscopy of alkali diatomic molecules to characterize interaction strengths, collision rates, and electronic potential energy curves. Undergraduate students from Bucknell University and Susquehanna University will gain hands-on experience in atom, ion, and molecular spectroscopy, laser cooling, ion trapping, and other atomic, molecular, and optical physics skills through their involvement in experiments using the laser system. The award was made on August 15, 2022 through the National Science Foundation's Integrative Activities program, which supports critical infrastructure and broad participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research and education.