Search for Ultralight Scalar Dark Matter with Atomic Spectroscopy

Tilburg, Ken Van; Leefer, N.; Bougas, Lykourgos; Budker, Dmitry

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.115.011802

Cited by 238 publications

(293 citation statements)

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“…Due to an extremely small energy interval between these states, many effects relevant to new physics are strongly enhanced [18][19][20]. The transition between these states was used to study parity non-conservation [21], time variation of the fine structure constant [2,7,17], LLI and EEP violation [2,6], and search for dark matter [22]. The latest study of the coupling of the variation of the fine structure constant to gravity reveals [17] …”

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confidence: 99%

Limits on gravitational Einstein equivalence principle violation from monitoring atomic clock frequencies during a year

Dzuba

Flambaum

2017

Phys. Rev. D

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Sun's gravitation potential at earth varies during a year due to varying Earth-Sun distance.Comparing the results of very accurate measurements of atomic clock transitions performed at different time in the year allows us to study the dependence of the atomic frequencies on the gravitational potential. We examine the measurement data for the ratio of the frequencies in Hg + and Al + clock transitions and absolute frequency measurements (with respect to caesium frequency standard) for Dy, Sr, H, hyperfine transitions in Rb and H, and obtain significantly improved limits on the values of the gravity related parameter of the Einstein Equivalence Principle violating term in the Standard Model Extension Hamiltonian c00 = (3.0 ± 5.7) × 10 −7 and the parameter for the gravity-related variation of the fine structure constant κα = (−5.3 ± 10) × 10 −8 . where c 00 is the parameter characterising the magnitude of EEP violation, U is the gravitation potential, c is the speed of light, p is the operator of the electron momentum (p = −ih∇). The change of the frequency of atomic transition between states a and b between two dates in the year isTo avoid any confusion with the sign let us assume that state a is always above state b on the energy scale so that hω ab = E a −E b > 0. ∆U in (2) is the change of the Sun's gravitation potential due to changing of the Earth-Sun distance,2m a is the expectation value of the kinetic energy of electrons in state a, and δK ab is the difference between the kinetic energies of the states a and b. The maximal change of the gravitation potential is between January and July, ∆U/c 2 ≈ 3.3 × 10 −10 [5, 6]. Therefore, comparing accurate frequency measurements performed in January and July, or fitting several measurements with a cosine function with the zero phase in the beginning of January and with period of one year, one can put constrains on the parameter c 00 ,Measuring atomic frequency means comparing it to some reference frequency, e.g. caesium primary frequency standard or another microwave or optical reference frequency. Therefore, we need to consider a ratio of two frequencies. In the non-relativistic limit one can use the Virial theorem ( p 2 /2m = −E total ) and obtain from Eq. (2)i.e. ∆ω/ω is the same for all electron transitions (except for the hyperfine transitions where the splitting is due to the "relativistic" magnetic interaction). This means that in the non-relativistic limit the effect in the ratio of optical frequencies is unobservable. Therefore, we should perform relativistic calculations. It is convenient to introduce relativistic factors R which describe deviation of the expectation value of the kinetic energy from the value, given by the Virial theorem,Here ∆E a is the energy shift of the state a due to the kinetic energy operator. In the non-relativistic limit R = 1. In the relativistic case R can be larger or smaller than one and can even be negative. For the relative change of two frequencies we now haveIt is clear from (6) that for higher sensitivity one should compar...

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confidence: 99%

Limits on gravitational Einstein equivalence principle violation from monitoring atomic clock frequencies during a year

Dzuba

Flambaum

2017

Phys. Rev. D

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“…It is interesting to note axions with even lighter masses below 10 −22 eV can also form a partial contribution to the total dark-matter mass density [61,62]. This extreme ultralight dark matter has been the focus of several recent experimental proposals [42][43][44][46][47][48][49][50], but most have focused on scalar dark matter and its couplings. In this paper, we present several experiments that can be modified or created to search for axions at the lightest masses, and evaluate their potential to reach axion couplings several orders of magnitude beyond current astrophysical bounds.…”

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confidence: 99%

Spin precession experiments for light axionic dark matter

et al. 2018

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Axionlike particles are promising candidates to make up the dark matter of the Universe, but it is challenging to design experiments that can detect them over their entire allowed mass range. Dark matter in general, and, in particular, axionlike particles and hidden photons, can be as light as roughly 10 −22 eV (∼10 −8 Hz), with astrophysical anomalies providing motivation for the lightest masses ("fuzzy dark matter"). We propose experimental techniques for direct detection of axionlike dark matter in the mass range from roughly 10 −13 eV (∼10 2 Hz) down to the lowest possible masses. In this range, these axionlike particles act as a time-oscillating magnetic field coupling only to spin, inducing effects such as a timeoscillating torque and periodic variations in the spin-precession frequency with the frequency and direction of these effects set by the axion field. We describe how these signals can be measured using existing experimental technology, including torsion pendulums, atomic magnetometers, and atom interferometry. These experiments demonstrate a strong discovery capability, with future iterations of these experiments capable of pushing several orders of magnitude past current astrophysical bounds.

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“…They also present unique opportunities for fundamental research by being sensitive to new physics beyond the Standard Model. The transitions are very sensitive to the temporal variation of the fine structure constant α (α = e 2 /hc) [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10], to the local Lorentz invariance (LLI) violation [11], the effect of dark matter [12][13][14][15][16][17][18], etc. For example, the 4f 14 6s 2 S 1/2 − 4f 13 6s 2 2 F o 7/2 transition in Yb + offers opportunities for frequency measurements with fractional accuracy ∼ 10 −18 [1].…”

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Hyperfine-induced electric dipole contributions to the electric octupole and magnetic quadrupole atomic clock transitions

Dzuba

Flambaum

2016

Phys. Rev. A

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Hyperfine-induced electric dipole contributions may significantly increase probabilities of otherwise very weak electric octupole and magnetic quadrupole atomic clock transitions (e.g. transitions between s and f electron orbitals). These transitions can be used for exceptionally accurate atomic clocks, quantum information processing and search for dark matter. They are very sensitive to new physics beyond the Standard Model, such as temporal variation of the fine structure constant, the Lorentz invariance and Einstein equivalence principle violation. We formulate conditions under which the hyperfine-induced electric dipole contribution dominates. Due to the hyperfine quenching the electric octupole clock transition in 173 Yb + is two orders of magnitude stronger than that in currently used 171 Electric octupole (E3) and magnetic quadrupole (M2) atomic optical transitions, which correspond to transitions between s and f electron orbitals, can be used as optical clocks of exceptionally high accuracy [1][2][3][4][5]. They also present unique opportunities for fundamental research by being sensitive to new physics beyond the Standard Model. The transitions are very sensitive to the temporal variation of the fine structure constant α (α = e 2 /hc) [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10], to the local Lorentz invariance (LLI) violation [11], the effect of dark matter [12][13][14][15][16][17][18], etc. For example, the 4f 14 6s 2 S 1/2 − 4f 13 6s 2 2 F o 7/2 transition in Yb + offers opportunities for frequency measurements with fractional accuracy ∼ 10 −18 [1]. The work is in progress in many laboratories [19][20][21]. Measuring the ratio of frequency of this transition to the frequency of the 4f 14 6s 2 S 1/2 − 4f 14 5d 2 D 3/2 transition in the same ion put the strongest limit on the temporal variation of the fine structure constant and (by including the Cs hyperfine transition) on the proton-to-electron mass ratio [8,9,[22][23][24]. The use of the electric octupole transition in Yb + for the search of LLI violation may lead to five orders of magnitude improvement over current best bounds on the LLI violation in the electron-photon sector [11].Many similar opportunities come with the use of optical transitions in highly-charged ions (HCI) [2][3][4][5]10]. For example, the spectrum of the Ir 17+ ion has been recently measured [25] with the prospect of using the 4f 13 5s 3 F o 4 − 4f 12 5s 2 3 H 6 transition for the time keeping and fundamental research.Electrical octupole and magnetic quadrupole transitions are very weak, typical linewidth can be as small as few nHz. This may lead to certain difficulties in the measurements. In this paper we demonstrate that the electric dipole transition (E1) induced by hyperfine interaction can be significantly larger than the electric octupole or magnetic quadrupole transitions. Therefore, choosing right isotope might be important for the measurements.At least one or more of the following conditions is needed for the domination of the hyperfine-induced E1 transitions.• The hyperfine mixin...

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Search for Ultralight Scalar Dark Matter with Atomic Spectroscopy

Cited by 238 publications

References 47 publications

Limits on gravitational Einstein equivalence principle violation from monitoring atomic clock frequencies during a year

Limits on gravitational Einstein equivalence principle violation from monitoring atomic clock frequencies during a year

Spin precession experiments for light axionic dark matter

Hyperfine-induced electric dipole contributions to the electric octupole and magnetic quadrupole atomic clock transitions

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