Constraining the Evolution of the Fundamental Constants with a Solid-State Optical Frequency Reference Based on the {sup 229}Th Nucleus

Journal Article · Fri May 21 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.104.200802· OSTI ID:21413487

Rellergert, Wade G; Hudson, Eric R ^[1]; DeMille, D ^[2]; Greco, R R; Hehlen, M P; Torgerson, J R ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511 (United States)
3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

We describe a novel approach to directly measure the energy of the narrow, low-lying isomeric state in {sup 229}Th. Since nuclear transitions are far less sensitive to environmental conditions than atomic transitions, we argue that the {sup 229}Th optical nuclear transition may be driven inside a host crystal with a high transition Q. This technique might also allow for the construction of a solid-state optical frequency reference that surpasses the short-term stability of current optical clocks, as well as improved limits on the variability of fundamental constants. Based on analysis of the crystal lattice environment, we argue that a precision (short-term stability) of 3x10{sup -17}<{Delta}f/f<1x10{sup -15} after 1 s of photon collection may be achieved with a systematic-limited accuracy (long-term stability) of {Delta}f/f{approx}2x10{sup -16}. Improvement by 10{sup 2}-10{sup 3} of the constraints on the variability of several important fundamental constants also appears possible.

• OSTI ID: 21413487
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 104; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCURACY
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BOSONS
CRYSTAL LATTICES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
CRYSTALS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EVOLUTION
FREQUENCY ANALYSIS
FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL EVOLUTION
NUCLEI
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
PHOTONS
RADIOISOTOPES
SOLIDS
STABILITY
THORIUM 229
THORIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES