Testing the Stability of the Fine Structure Constant in the Laboratory
Quantum Physics
2015-05-13 v1
Abstract
In this review we discuss the progress of the past decade in testing for a possible temporal variation of the fine structure constant . Advances in atomic sample preparation, laser spectroscopy and optical frequency measurements led to rapid reduction of measurement uncertainties. Eventually laboratory tests became the most sensitive tool to detect a possible variation of at the present epoch. We explain the methods and technologies that helped make this possible.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0904.1663,
title = {Testing the Stability of the Fine Structure Constant in the Laboratory},
author = {N. Kolachevsky and A. Matveev and J. Alnis and C. Parthey and T. Steinmetz and T. Wilken and R. Holzwarth and Th. Udem and T. W. Haensch},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0904.1663},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
23 pages, 10 figures, The ISSI Workshop, 6-10 October 2008, on The Nature of Gravity "Confronting Theory and Experiment in Space"