Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium
- Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-7300 (United States)
- Physics Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P-23, MS-H803, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
Over 8 months, we monitored transition frequencies between nearly degenerate, opposite-parity levels in two isotopes of atomic dysprosium (Dy). These frequencies are sensitive to variation of the fine-structure constant ({alpha}) due to relativistic corrections of opposite sign for the opposite-parity levels. In this unique system, in contrast to atomic-clock comparisons, the difference of the electronic energies of the opposite-parity levels can be monitored directly utilizing a rf electric-dipole transition between them. Our measurements show that the frequency variation of the 3.1-MHz transition in {sup 163}Dy and the 235-MHz transition in {sup 162}Dy are 9.0{+-}6.7 Hz/yr and -0.6{+-}6.5 Hz/yr, respectively. These results provide a rate of fractional variation of {alpha} of (-2.7{+-}2.6)x10{sup -15} yr{sup -1} (1{sigma}) without assumptions on constancy of other fundamental constants, indicating absence of significant variation at the present level of sensitivity.
- OSTI ID:
- 20861630
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.040801; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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