Related papers: Probing Unification Scenarios with Atomic Clocks
The Standard Model of particle physics assumes that the so-called fundamental constants are universal and unchanging. Absorption lines arising in molecular clouds along quasar sightlines offer a precise test for variations in the…
Singly-ionized ytterbium, with ultra-narrow optical clock transitions at 467 nm and 436 nm, is a convenient system for the realization of optical atomic clocks and tests of present-day variation of fundamental constants. We present the…
This article summarizes the latest results on the proton-to-electron mass ratio $\mu$ derived from H$_2$ observations at high redshift in the light of possible variations of fundamental physical constants. The focus lies on UVES…
The possible cosmological variation of the proton-to-electron mass ratio was estimated by measuring the H_2 wavelengths in the high-resolution spectrum of the quasar Q~0347-382. Our analysis yielded an estimate for the possible deviation of…
We review the physics of atoms and clocks in weakly curved spacetime, and how each may be used to test the Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP) in the context of the minimal Standard Model Extension (mSME). We find that conventional clocks…
We explore possibilities of gauge coupling unification in left--right symmetric models with non--minimal particle content. In addition to unification we require the absence of anomalies and sufficient proton lifetime. Numerous previously…
We propose a novel approach to probe new fundamental interactions using isotope shift spectroscopy in atomic clock transitions. As concrete toy example we focus on the Higgs boson couplings to the building blocks of matter: the electron and…
Astrophysical tests of the stability of Nature's fundamental couplings are a key probe of the standard paradigms in fundamental physics and cosmology. In this report we discuss updated constraints on the stability of the fine-structure…
We propose new experiments with high sensitivity to a possible spatial or temporal variation of the electron-to-proton mass ratio $\mu \equiv m_e/m_p$. We consider a nearly-degenerate pair of molecular vibrational levels, where each state…
Atomic microwave clocks based on hyperfine transitions, such as the caesium standard, tick with a frequency that is proportional to the magnetic moment of the nucleus. This magnetic moment varies strongly between isotopes of the same atom,…
Valuable information on interactions violating $P$- and $T$-invariance can be extracted from atomic experiments. The hypothesis of a large weak matrix element between single-particle states in heavy nuclei, $\sim 100$ eV, is ruled out by…
Atomic interference experiments test the universality of the coupling between matter-energy and gravity at different spacetime points, thus being in principle able to probe possible violations of the universality of the gravitational…
Several years ago it was pointed out that the chiral soliton model allows naturally for satisfactory agreement with the experimentally well-determined proton magnetic form factor $G_M^p$. The corresponding result for the proton electric…
Accurate measurements of different transition frequencies between atomic levels of the electronic and hyperfine structure over time are used to investigate temporal variations of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and the…
The aim of this paper is to derive limits on various forms of ``new physics'' using atomic experimental data. Interactions with dark energy and dark matter fields can lead to space-time variations of fundamental constants, which can be…
Using the Yukawa couplings of the minimal supersymmetric SU(5) model, the rates for $\mu \to e\gamma$, $\mu \to e$ conversion and $\tau \to \mu \gamma$ are computed. For a selectron mass of 100 GeV, and without exploring the full parameter…
We report high-precision frequency ratio measurements between optical atomic clocks based on $^{27}$Al$^+$, $^{171}$Yb, and $^{87}$Sr. With total fractional uncertainties at or below $3.2 \times 10^{-18}$, these measurements meet an…
Transitions in atoms and molecules provide an ideal test ground for constraining or detecting a possible variation of the fundamental constants of nature. In this Perspective, we review molecular species that are of specific interest in the…
Atomic interference experiments can probe the gravitational redshift via the internal energy splitting of atoms and thus give direct access to test the universality of the coupling between matter-energy and gravity at different spacetime…
Group theoretical factors from GUT symmetry breaking can lead to predictions for the ratios of quark and lepton masses (or Yukawa couplings) at the unification scale. Due to supersymmetric (SUSY) threshold corrections the viability of such…