Observation of Spin Flips with a Single Trapped Proton

Spin transitions of an isolated trapped proton are observed for the first time. The spin quantum jumps are detected via the continuous Stern-Gerlach effect which is used in an experiment with a single proton stored in a cryogenic Penning trap. This opens the way for a direct high-precision measurement of the magnetic moment of the proton and a new test of the matter-antimatter symmetry in the baryon sector. This method can also be applied to other light atomic nuclei.