Related papers: Axions and Atomic Clocks
The amplitude of the pseudoscalar (axion) or scalar field fluctuates on a time scale of order of million field oscillation periods which is a typical coherence time in the virialized axion galactic dark matter halo model. This causes…
The cosmological applications of atomic clocks so far have been limited to searches of the uniform-in-time drift of fundamental constants. In this paper, we point out that a transient in time change of fundamental constants can be induced…
We discuss some striking properties of photons propagating in a cold axion condensate oscillating coherently in time with a frequency $1/m_a$. Three effects are discussed in this contribution: (a) due to the time dependence of the…
We consider an application of precision frequency measurements to searches for possible time variations of the fundamental physical constants. Current laboratory constraints on variations of the fine structure constant alpha and other…
We discuss spectral distortions, time delays and refraction of light in an axion or axion-plasma background. This involves solving the full set of geodesic equations associated to the system of Hamiltonian optics, allowing us to…
Atomic spectroscopy is used to search for the space-time variation of fundamental constants which may be due to an interaction with scalar and pseudo-scalar (axion) dark matter. In this letter, we study the effects which are produced by the…
Atomic clocks have recently reached a fractional timing precision of $<10^{-18}$. We point out that an array of atomic clocks, distributed along the Earth's orbit around the Sun, will have the sensitivity needed to detect the time dilation…
Recent developments in frequency metrology and optical clocks have been based on electronic transitions in atoms and singly charged ions as references. These systems have enabled relative frequency uncertainties at a level of a few parts in…
We investigate the propagation of a charged particle in a spatially constant but time dependent pseudoscalar background. Physically this pseudoscalar background could be provided by a relic axion density. The background leads to an explicit…
Theories unifying gravity and other interactions suggest the possibility of spatial and temporal variation of physical ``constants''. Accuracy achieved for the atomic optical frequency standards (optical clocks) approaches the level when…
We present a new framework to study the time variation of fundamental constants in a model-independent way. Model independence implies more free parameters than assumed in previous studies. Using data from atomic clocks based on $^{87}$Sr,…
We study atomic systems that are in the frequency range of optical atomic clocks and have enhanced sensitivity to potential time-variation of the fine structure constant, alpha. The high sensitivity is due to coherent contributions from…
Evidence that the fine structure constant, alpha, was different in an early epoch has recently been found in quasar (QSO) absorption spectra. An accurate laboratory measurement of alpha variation could help to distinguish between space and…
We investigate the feasibility of precision frequency metrology with large ion crystals. For clock candidates with a negative differential static polarisability, we show that micromotion effects should not impede the performance of the…
We show that gravitational wave detectors based on a type of atom interferometry are sensitive to ultralight scalar dark matter. Such dark matter can cause temporal oscillations in fundamental constants with a frequency set by the dark…
Atomic clocks use atomic transitions as frequency references. The susceptibility of the atomic transition to external fields limits clock stability and introduces systematic frequency shifts. Here, we propose to realize an atomic clock that…
Atomic sensors using light-matter interactions, in particular atomic clocks and atom interferometers, have the potential to complement optical gravitational-wave detectors in the mid-frequency regime. Although both rely on interference, the…
It is widely believed that axions are ubiquitous in string theory and could be the dark matter. The peculiar features of the axion dark matter are coherent oscillations and a coupling to the electromagnetic field through the Chern-Simons…
Axion-gluon interaction induces quadratic couplings between the axion and the matter fields. We find that, if the axion is an ultralight dark matter field, it induces small oscillations of the mass of the hadrons as well as other nuclear…
In order to settle the problem of the "Post constraint" in material media, we consider the propagation of a plane electromagnetic wave in a medium with a piecewise constant axion field. Although a constant axion field does not affect the…