Improved Limits for Violations of Local Position Invariance from Atomic Clock Comparisons

authored by

R. Lange, N. Huntemann, J. M. Rahm, C. Sanner, H. Shao, B. Lipphardt, Chr Tamm, S. Weyers, E. Peik

Abstract

We compare two optical clocks based on the S21/2(F=0)→D23/2(F=2) electric quadrupole (E2) and the S21/2(F=0)→F27/2(F=3) electric octupole (E3) transition of Yb171+ and measure the frequency ratio νE3/νE2=0.932829404530965376(32), improving upon previous measurements by an order of magnitude. Using two caesium fountain clocks, we find νE3=642121496772645.10(8) Hz, the most accurate determination of an optical transition frequency to date. Repeated measurements of both quantities over several years are analyzed for potential violations of local position invariance. We improve by factors of about 20 and 2 the limits for fractional temporal variations of the fine structure constant α to 1.0(1.1)×10-18/yr and of the proton-to-electron mass ratio μ to -8(36)×10-18/yr. Using the annual variation of the Sun's gravitational potential at Earth φ, we improve limits for a potential coupling of both constants to gravity, (c2/α)(dα/dφ)=14(11)×10-9 and (c2/μ)(dμ/dφ)=7(45)×10-8.

External Organisation(s)

National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB)

Type

Article

Journal

Physical review letters

Volume

126

ISSN

0031-9007

Publication date

06.01.2021

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy(all)

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.011102 (Access: Open)