Research

Research in theoretical atomic physics and particle astrophysics. My work focusses on high-precision atomic structure calculations, and how atomic processes can be used for testing fundamental theories, probing for physics beyond the standard model, and searching for dark matter.

Les Houches, 2023

Grants

2025 - ARC Discovery Project DP250103374: with Dr. Jacinda Ginges (UQ) and Dr. Natalia Oreshkina (MPI)
- Nuclear structure and precision tests of fundamental physics in atoms
2023 - Big Questions Institute Fellowship
- Are the laws of physics the same everywhere in the universe?
2023 - ARC Discovery Project DP230101685: with Dr. Jacinda Ginges (UQ) and Dr. Magdalena Kowalska (ISOLDE, CERN)
- Probing new physics with atomic parity violation
2021 - ARC Early Career Research Award (DECRA) DE210101026
- Atomic physics as a probe for fundamental physics and dark matter

Recent publications

Atomic Observables Induced by Cosmic Fields

S. Lahs, D. Comparat, F. Kirk, and B. M. Roberts, arXiv:2510.08007

Theoretical characterisation of the barium II and radium II ions

Robin B. Cserveny and Benjamin M. Roberts, Phys. Rev. A 112, 032816 (2025)

The hyperfine anomaly in mercury and test of the Moskowitz-Lombardi rule

J. Vandeleur, G. Sanamyan, B. M. Roberts, J. S. M. Ginges, Physical Review A 111, L050801 (2025)

Vacuum polarization corrections to hyperfine structure in many-electron atoms

J. C. Hasted, C. J. Fairhall, O. R. Smits, B. M. Roberts, and J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. A 111, 032812 (2025); [arXiv:2409.17979]

Ultralight Dark Matter Search with Space-Time Separated Atomic Clocks and Cavities

Melina Filzinger, Ashlee R. Caddell, Dhruv Jani, Martin Steinel, Leonardo Giani, Nils Huntemann, and Benjamin M. Roberts, Physical Review Letters 134, 031001 (2025)

Accurate electron-recoil ionization factors for dark matter direct detection in xenon, krypton and argon

A. R. Caddell, V. V. Flambaum, and B. M. Roberts, Phys. Rev. D 108, 083030 (2023)

Electric dipole transition amplitudes for atoms and ions with one valence electron

B. M. Roberts, C.J. Fairhall, and J. S. M. Ginges, Physical Review A 107, 052812 (2023)

Experimental and theoretical study of dynamic polarizabilities in the 5S_1/2 - 5D_5/2 clock transition in rubidium-87 and determination of E1 matrix elements

R. Hamilton, B. M. Roberts, S. K. Scholten, C. Locke, A. N. Luiten, J. S. M. Ginges, and C. Perrella, Physical Review Applied 19, 054059 (2023)

QED radiative corrections to electric dipole amplitudes in heavy atoms

C.J. Fairhall, B. M. Roberts, and J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. A. 107, 022813 (2023)

Empirical determination of the Bohr-Weisskopf effect in cesium and improved tests of precision atomic theory in searches for new physics

G. Sanamyan, B. M. Roberts, J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 053001 (2023)

Bohr-Weisskopf effect: From hydrogenlike-ion experiments to heavy-atom calculations of the hyperfine structure

B. M. Roberts, P. G. Ranclaud, J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. A. 105, 018301 (2022)

Comment on 'New physics constraints from atomic parity violation in 133-Cs'

B. M. Roberts, J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. D. 105, 018301 (2022)

The hyperfine anomaly in heavy atoms and its role in precision atomic searches for new physics

B. M. Roberts, J. S. M. Ginges Phys. Rev. A. 104, 022823 (2021)

Searching for Dark Matter with an Optical Cavity and an Unequal-Delay Interferometer

Etienne Savalle, Aurelien Hees, Florian Frank, Etienne Cantin, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 051301 (2021)

Precision Measurement Noise Asymmetry and Its Annual Modulation as a Dark Matter Signature

Benjamin M. Roberts, Andrei Derevianko, Universe 7, 50 (2021)

Applying the matched-filter technique to the search for dark matter transients with networks of quantum sensors

Guglielmo Panelli, B. M. Roberts, A. Derevianko, EPJ Quantum Technol. 7, 5 (2020)

Search for transient variations of the fine structure constant and dark matter using fiber-linked optical atomic clocks

Benjamin M. Roberts, Pacome Delva, Ali Al-Masoudi, Anne Amy-Klein, et al., New J. Phys. 22, 093010 (2020) – Featured article

Nuclear Magnetic Moments of Francium-207–213 from Precision Hyperfine Comparisons

B. M. Roberts, J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 063002 (2020)

Search for a Variation of the Fine Structure Constant around the Supermassive Black Hole in Our Galactic Center

A. Hees, T. Do, B. M. Roberts, Andrea M. Ghez, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 081101 (2020) – Editors’ Suggestion

Correlation trends in the hyperfine structure for Rb, Cs, and Fr, and high-accuracy predictions for hyperfine constants

S. J. Grunefeld, B. M. Roberts, J. S. M. Ginges, Phys. Rev. A 100, 042506 (2019)

Electron-interacting dark matter: Implications from DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 and prospects for liquid xenon detectors and NaI detectors

B. M. Roberts, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. D 100, 063017 (2019)

Calculations of the atomic structure for the low-lying states of actinium

V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, B. M. Roberts, Phys. Rev. A 100, 022504 (2019)

Search for transient ultralight dark matter signatures with networks of precision measurement devices using a Bayesian statistics method

B. M. Roberts, G. Blewitt, C. Dailey, A. Derevianko, Phys. Rev. D 97, 083009 (2018)

Search for domain wall dark matter with atomic clocks on board global positioning system satellites

B. M. Roberts, G. Blewitt, C. Dailey, M. Murphy, et al., Nature Commun. 8, 1195 (2017)

Dark matter scattering on electrons: Accurate calculations of atomic excitations and implications for the DAMA signal

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, M. Pospelov, et al., Phys. Rev. D 93, 115037 (2016)

Low-energy atomic phenomena: probing fundamental physics and searching for dark matter

B. M. Roberts, PhD Thesis, UNSW, (2016)

Ionization of Atoms by Slow Heavy Particles, Including Dark Matter

B. M. Roberts, V. V. Flambaum, G. F. Gribakin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 023201 (2016)

Parity and Time-Reversal Violation in Atomic Systems

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 65, 63–86 (2015)

Parity-violating interactions of cosmic fields with atoms, molecules, and nuclei: Concepts and calculations for laboratory searches and extracting limits

B. M. Roberts, Y. V. Stadnik, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, N. Leefer, D. Budker, Phys. Rev. D 90, 096005 (2014) – Editors’ Suggestion

Tests of CPT and Lorentz symmetry from muon anomalous magnetic dipole moment

Y. V. Stadnik, B. M. Roberts, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. D 90, 045035 (2014)

Limiting P-Odd Interactions of Cosmic Fields with Electrons, Protons, and Neutrons

B. M. Roberts, Y. V. Stadnik, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, N. Leefer, D. Budker, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 081601 (2014)

Strongly enhanced atomic parity violation due to close levels of opposite parity

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. A 89, 042509 (2014)

Nuclear-spin-dependent parity nonconservation in s-d5/2 and s-d3/2 transitions

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. A 89, 012502 (2014)

Double-core-polarization contribution to atomic parity-nonconservation and electric-dipole-moment calculations

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. A 88, 042507 (2013)

Parity nonconservation in Fr-like actinide and Cs-like rare-earth-metal ions

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. A 88, 012510 (2013)

Quantum electrodynamics corrections to energies, transition amplitudes, and parity nonconservation in Rb, Cs, Ba^+, Tl, Fr, and Ra^+

B. M. Roberts, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, Phys. Rev. A 87, 054502 (2013)

Calculation of the parity-violating 5s-6s E1 amplitude in the rubidium atom

V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, B. M. Roberts, Phys. Rev. A 86, 062512 (2012)

Revisiting Parity Nonconservation in Cesium

V. A. Dzuba, J. C. Berengut, V. V. Flambaum, B. M. Roberts, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 203003 (2012)

Parity Nonconservation in Atomic Transitions and Tests of Unification Theories

B. M. Roberts, Honours Thesis (UNSW) (2012)

Research

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Recent publications