We discuss an experimental approach allowing to prepare antihydrogen atoms for the GBAR experiment. We study the feasibility of all necessary experimental steps: The capture of incoming $bar{rm H}^+$ ions at keV energies in a deep linear RF trap, sym
pathetic cooling by laser cooled Be$^+$ ions, transfer to a miniaturized trap and Raman sideband cooling of an ion pair to the motional ground state, and further reducing the momentum of the wavepacket by adiabatic opening of the trap. For each step, we point out the experimental challenges and discuss the efficiency and characteristic times, showing that capture and cooling are possible within a few seconds.
Exact analytical expressions for the matrix elements of the Uehling potential in a basis of explicitly correlated exponential wave functions are presented. The obtained formulas are then used to compute with an improved accuracy the vacuum polarizati
on correction to the binding energy of muonic and pionic molecules, both in a first-order perturbative treatment and in a nonperturbative approach. The first resonant states lying below the n=2 threshold are also studied, by means of the stabilization method with a real dilatation parameter.
We have fabricated and characterized a n-doped InSb Faraday isolator in the mid-IR range (9.2 $mu$m). A high isolation ratio of $approx$30 dB with a transmission over 80% (polarizer losses not included) is obtained at room temperature. Further possib
le improvements are discussed. A similar design can be used to cover a wide wavelength range (lambda ~ 7.5-30 $mu$m).
