Atom‐Interferometry Measurement of the Fine Structure Constant

Abstract

AbstractUsing an atom interferometer to measure the quotient of the reduced Planck's constant and the mass of a cesium‐133 atom , the most accurate measurement of the fine structure constant is recorded, at an accuracy of 0.20 parts per billion (ppb). Using multiphoton interactions (Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations), the largest phase (12 million radians) of any Ramsey–Bordé interferometer and controlled systematic effects at a level of 0.12 ppb are demonstrated. Comparing the Penning trap measurements with the Standard Model prediction of the electron gyromagnetic anomaly based on the α measurement, a 2.5 tension is observed, rejecting dark photons as the reason for the unexplained part of the muon's gyromagnetic moment discrepancy at a 99% confidence level according to frequentist statistics. Implications for dark‐sector candidates (e.g., scalar and pseudoscalar bosons, vector bosons, and axial‐vector bosons) may be a sign of physics beyond the Standard Model. A future upgrade of the cesium fountain atom interferometer is also proposed to increase the accuracy of by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude, which would help resolve the tension.