Research activities

The group of the AntiMatter Laboratory is active in many fields of research dealing with antimatter particles and atoms: positrons, positronium, antihydrogen, protonium. The activity is carried out at the Laboratory of the Department of Physics, at the Antiproton Decelerator (Antimatter Factory) at CERN (AEgIS: Antimatter Experiment: gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy), at the research reactor FRMII-NEPOMUC facility. The group has developed expertise in the design and realization of antimatter continuous and bunched beams at low and very low energies, the manipulation of antimatter with electromagnetic fields and laser systems and the advancement of dedicated time, space, energy sensitive detectors.  AML is also part of INFN-TIFPA institute and at present two experiments are funded by CSN3 (Commissione Scientifica Nazionale 3) of INFN: AEgIS allocated at CERN and PsICO (Positronium interferometry and Correlation Observation) allocated at the Physics Department. PsICO experiment is also funded by Q@Tn (Quantum Science and Technology in Trento).
Fundamental and solid state experiments and projects running at present are listed below.

Fundamental studies with antimatter

• Measurement of forces and gravity acting on antihydrogen, positronium and protonium. 
• Study of the entanglement of gamma photons arising from Ps annihilation
• Atomic physics with positronium (Ps), the bound state of a positron and an electron.
• Positronium laser spectroscopy and positronium laser cooling.
• Positronium manipulation in selected quantum states.
• Manipulation of metastable or Rydberg positronium states (long-lived positronium) 
• Study for the production of polarized positronium into vacuum.

Solid state studies with antimatter

• Study and characterization of porosity, through detection of positronium formation (3 gammas PAS: Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy; PALS: Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy), in polymeric and biopolymer nanocomposite thin films for the realization of low permeability molecular and dielectric sieves.
• Study of porosities in glasses.
• Characterization of the chemical species surrounding porosity, cavities and vacancy like defects by the CDBS (Coincidence Doppler Broadening Spectroscopy) technique.
• Depth profiling of vacancy like defects in oxide by DBS (Doppler Broadening Spectroscopy) and PALS.

Technological developments

• Development of positron bunched beams.
• Production of positron/positronium converters
• Development of laser for Ps manipulation and cooling
• Study and development of position sensing detectors for charged particles and gamma rays with energy up to 511 keV.

Group members