Towards Quantum-Enabled Spectroscopy of Highly Charged Ions for Improved Optical Clocks and Tests of Fundamental Physics.

In the past few decades, high-precision atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) experiments have offered a complementary approach to accelerators in the search for new physics. Due to enhanced relativistic effects, highly charged ions (HCIs) provide a unique platform for studies of fundamental physics including tests of quantum electrodynamics (QED) and searches for time-variation of the fundamental constants (e.g. ̇α/α). Here, we present the status of an experimental program to perform high-precision, quantum-enabled laser spectroscopy of trapped HCIs for tests of fundamental physics. We also demonstrate an improved form of the boundary element method (BEM) used for ion trap simulations and highlight applications to the development of high-performance HCI-based optical clocks.