Precision measurements of fine and hyperfine structure in lithium I and II

Abstract

Recent advances in modeling Li I and II in conjunction with improved experimental techniques have enabled precise tests of quantum electrodynamics. For Li+, the hyperfine intervals of the 1s2s 3S1 and 1s2p 3P0,1,2 states are in excellent agreement with theory. A recent measurement of the 1s2p 3P1,2 fine-structure interval also agrees well with the calculated value and resolves a discrepancy found by two prior experiments. For neutral lithium, discrepancies exist among the results of various experiments for the 6,7Li D1 isotope shift and the 2P fine structure. However, all of the fine-structure measurements are several MHz larger than the theoretical value. Prospects for future experiments to improve the determination of the fine-structure constant and the relative 6,7Li nuclear charge radii are discussed. PACS Nos.: 32.10.Fn, 31.30.Gs, 42.62.Fi