Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium

doi:10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.040801

Title: Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium

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Abstract

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.

Authors:

Cingoez, A.; Lapierre, A.; Leefer, N. ^[1]; Nguyen, A.-T.; Lamoreaux, S. K.; Torgerson, J. R. ^[2]; Budker, D. ^[1]; Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 ^[3]

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)
(United States)

Publication Date:: Fri Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2007

OSTI Identifier:: 20861630

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Resource Relation:: Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; Journal Volume: 98; Journal Issue: 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.040801; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; CORRECTIONS; DYSPROSIUM; DYSPROSIUM 162; DYSPROSIUM 163; E1-TRANSITIONS; FINE STRUCTURE; FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS; MHZ RANGE; PARITY; RELATIVISTIC RANGE

Citation Formats


                    Cingoez, A., Lapierre, A., Leefer, N., Nguyen, A.-T., Lamoreaux, S. K., Torgerson, J. R., Budker, D., and Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720. Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium.  United States: N. p., 2007. 
        Web.  doi:10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.040801.

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                    Cingoez, A., Lapierre, A., Leefer, N., Nguyen, A.-T., Lamoreaux, S. K., Torgerson, J. R., Budker, D., & Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720. Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium.  United States.  doi:10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.040801.

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                    Cingoez, A., Lapierre, A., Leefer, N., Nguyen, A.-T., Lamoreaux, S. K., Torgerson, J. R., Budker, D., and Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720. Fri .  
        "Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium".  United States.  
        doi:10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.040801.

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@article{osti_20861630,

  title        = {Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium},

  author       = {Cingoez, A. and Lapierre, A. and Leefer, N. and Nguyen, A.-T. and Lamoreaux, S. K. and Torgerson, J. R. and Budker, D. and Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720},

  abstractNote = {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.},

  doi          = {10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.040801},

  journal      = {Physical Review Letters},

  number       = 4,

  volume       = 98,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2007},

  month        = {Fri Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2007}

}

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DOI: 10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.040801

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