Related papers: Constraining symmetron dark energy using atom inte…
This thesis discusses the search for supersymmetry at the future Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the ongoing construction of one of the four large LHC experiments, the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), and focuses on the detection of signals…
Interferometry is a prime technique for modern precision measurements. Atoms, unlike light, have significant interactions with electric, magnetic, and gravitational fields, making their use in interferometric applications particularly…
We report on the experimental demonstration of a horizontal accelerometer based on atom interferometry using counterpropagative Raman transitions between the states $F=1,m_F=\mp1$ and $F=2,m_F=\pm1$ of $^{87}$Rb. Compared to the $F=1,m_F=0…
Gravity is the weakest fundamental interaction and the only one that has not been measured at the particle level. Traditional experimental methods, from astronomical observations to torsion balances, use macroscopic masses to both source…
Scalar fields coupled to gravity through the Ricci scalar have been considered both as dark matter candidates and as a possible modified gravity explanation for galactic dynamics. It has recently been demonstrated that the dynamics of…
Light scalar fields are expected to arise in theories of high energy physics (such as string theory), and find phenomenological motivations in dark energy, dark matter, or neutrino physics. However, the coupling of light scalar fields to…
One of the major uncertainties in the dense matter equation of state has been the nuclear symmetry energy. The density dependence of the symmetry energy is important in nuclear astrophysics, as it controls the neutronization of matter in…
We examine the embedding of dark energy in high energy models based upon supergravity and extend the usual phenomenological setting comprising an observable sector and a hidden supersymmetry breaking sector by including a third sector…
We propose a new scheme for an improved determination of the Newtonian gravitational constant G and evaluate it by numerical simulations. Cold atoms in free fall are probed by atom interferometry measurements to characterize the…
Atom interferometers measure quantum interference patterns in the wave functions of cold atoms that follow superpositions of different space-time trajectories. These can be sensitive to phase shifts induced by fundamental physics processes…
We sense the motion of a trapped atomic ion using a sequence of state-dependent ultrafast momentum kicks. We use this atom interferometer to characterize a nearly-pure quantum state with $n=1$ phonon and accurately measure thermal states…
Interacting dark energy models have been suggested as alternatives to the standard cosmological model, $\Lambda$CDM. We focus on a phenomenologically interesting class of dark scattering models that is characterised by pure momentum…
Since the first appearance of general relativity in 1916, various experiments have been conducted to test the theory. Due to the weakness of the interactions involved, all of the documented tests were carried out in a gravitational field…
We study the quantum force between classical objects mediated by massive scalar fields bilinearly coupled to matter. The existence of such fields is motivated by dark matter, dark energy, and by the possibility of a hidden sector beyond the…
A simple way to accommodate dark matter is to postulate the existence of a hidden sector. That is, a set of new particles and forces interacting with the known particles predominantly via gravity. In general this leads to a large set of…
Lorentz symmetry is a fundamental space-time symmetry underlying the Standard Model of particle physics and gravity. However, unified theories, such as string theory, allow for violation of this symmetry. Thus, the discovery of Lorentz…
Atomic interferometers measure forces and acceleration with exceptional precision. The conventional approach to atomic interferometry is to launch an atomic cloud into a ballistic trajectory and perform the wave-packet splitting in momentum…
The nuclear symmetry energy at densities above saturation density ($\rho_0\sim 0.16 fm^{-3}$) is poorly constrained theoretically and very few relevant experimental data exist. Its study is possible through Heavy Ion Collisions (HIC) at…
Single-photon transitions are one of the key technologies for designing and operating very-long-baseline atom interferometers tailored for terrestrial gravitational-wave and dark-matter detection. Since such setups aim at the detection of…
We propose a model of Dark Supersymmetry, where a supersymmetric dark sector is coupled to the classically scale invariant non-supersymmetric Standard Model through the Higgs portal. The dark sector contains a mass scale that is protected…