Measurement of a magic-zero wavelength

Abstract

Light at a magic-zero wavelength causes zero energy shift for an atom. We measured the longest magic-zero wavelength for ground state potassium atoms to be ${\lambda }_{\text{zero}}=768.971(1)$ nm, and we show how this provides an improved experimental benchmark for atomic structure calculations. This ${\lambda }_{\text{zero}}$ measurement determines the ratio of the potassium atom D1 and D2 line strengths with record precision. It also demonstrates a new application for atom interferometry, and we discuss how decoherence will fundamentally limit future measurements of magic-zero wavelengths.