Violation Of Local Lorentz Invariance Research Articles

Experimental design for testing local Lorentz invariance violation in gravity

Abstract Local Lorentz invariance is an important foundation of General Relativity, and its high-precision testing can help to explore the unified theories. In this work, we focus on the local Lorentz violating effect in pure gravity with mass dimension d = 6, and study the experimental design for testing local Lorentz violation with precision torsion pendulum experiments. By designing the striped test and source masses, and setting the appropriate azimuth angles of the experimental setup, we found the constraint accuracy of the local Lorentz violation coefficients is expected to be improved by one to two orders of magnitude compared with the international optimal level. Moreover, considering the difficulty level of changing the azimuth angle of the experimental setup in practical experiments, we proposed two experimental strategies and separately studied the azimuth-angle configurations corresponding to the optimal constraint of the local Lorentz violating coefficients, which can guide the development of the later experiments.

New limits on the local Lorentz invariance violation of gravity in the standard model extension with pulsars

New limits on the local Lorentz invariance violation of gravity in the standard model extension with pulsars

Robust and scalable rf spectroscopy in first-order magnetic sensitive states at second-long coherence time

Trapped-ion quantum sensors have become highly sensitive tools for the search of physics beyond the Standard Model. Recently, stringent tests of local Lorentz-invariance (LLI) have been conducted with precision spectroscopy in trapped ions (Pruttivarasin et al 2015 Nature 517 592–5, Megidish et al 2019 Phys. Rev. Lett. 122 123605, Sanner et al 2019 Nature 567 204–8, Dreissen et al 2022 Nat. Commun. 13 1–6) . We here elaborate on robust radio-frequency composite-pulse spectroscopy at second long coherence times in the magnetic sublevels of the long-lived state of a trapped 172Yb+ ion which is scalable to spatially extended multi-ion systems. We compare two Ramsey-type composite rf pulse sequences, a generalized spin-echo (GSE) sequence (Shaniv et al 2018 Phys. Rev. Lett. 120 103202) and a sequence based on universal rotations with 10 rephasing pulses (UR10) (Genov et al 2017 Phys. Rev. Lett. 118 133202) that decouple the energy levels from magnetic field noise, enabling robust and accurate spectroscopy. Both sequences are characterized theoretically and experimentally in the spin- electronic ground state of 172Yb+ and results show that the UR10 sequence is 38 (13) times more robust against pulse duration (frequency detuning) errors than the GSE sequence. We extend our simulations to the eight-level manifold of the state, which is highly sensitive to a possible violation of LLI, and show that the UR10 sequence can be used for high-fidelity Ramsey spectroscopy in noisy environments. The UR10 sequence is implemented experimentally in the manifold and a coherent signal of up to 2.5 s is reached. In (Dreissen et al 2022 Nat. Commun. 13 1–6) we have implemented this sequence and used it to perform the most stringent test of LLI in the electron–photon sector to date with a single Yb+ ion. Due to the high robustness of the UR10 sequence, it can be applied on larger ion crystals to improve tests of Lorentz symmetry further. We demonstrate that the sequence can also be used to extract the quadrupole moment of the meta-stable state, obtaining a value of which is in agreement with the value deduced from clock measurements (Lange et al 2020 Phys. Rev. Lett. 125 143201).

A novel Michelson–Morley experiment testing for anisotropic light propagation in gas without violation of local Lorentz invariance

A novel Michelson–Morley experiment testing for anisotropic light propagation in gas without violation of local Lorentz invariance

Erratum to “The Asymmetry of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation as Signature of Local Lorentz Invariance Violation”

Erratum to “The Asymmetry of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation as Signature of Local Lorentz Invariance Violation”

The Asymmetry of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation as Signature of Local Lorentz Invariance Violation

A difference in electric potential in a static conductor inside a static magnetic field and an anisotropic and asymmetric distribution of neutrons emitted in nuclear reactions induced by ultrasound are assumed as marks of local Lorentz invariance (LLI) violation. The asymmetry of the two experiments is related to the asymmetry of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR). As common directions of asymmetry are found in these three cases, a fundamental asymmetry of the interactions is suggested which can also shed new light on the question of symmetry breaking in the history of the Universe.

Interaction rates in cosmology: heavy particle production and scattering

We study transition rates and cross sections from first principles in a spatially flat radiation dominated cosmology. We consider a model of scalar particles to study scattering and heavy particle production from pair annihilation, drawing more general conclusions. The S-matrix formulation is ill suited to study these ubiquitous processes in a rapidly expanding cosmology. We introduce a physically motivated adiabatic expansion that relies on wavelengths much smaller than the particle horizon at a given time. The leading order in this expansion dominates the transition rates and cross sections. Several important and general results are direct consequences of the cosmological redshift and a finite particle horizon: (i) a violation of local Lorentz invariance, (ii) freeze-out of the production cross section at a finite time, (iii) sub-threshold production of heavier particles as a consequence of the uncertainty in the local energy from a finite particle horizon, a manifestation of the anti-Zeno effect. If heavy dark matter is produced via annihilation of a lighter species, sub-threshold production yields an enhanced abundance. We discuss several possible cosmological consequences of these effects.

Detection of the 5p \u2013 4f orbital crossing and its optical clock transition in Pr9+

Recent theoretical works have proposed atomic clocks based on narrow optical transitions in highly charged ions. The most interesting candidates for searches of physics beyond the Standard Model are those which occur at rare orbital crossings where the shell structure of the periodic table is reordered. There are only three such crossings expected to be accessible in highly charged ions, and hitherto none have been observed as both experiment and theory have proven difficult. In this work we observe an orbital crossing in a system chosen to be tractable from both sides: Pr{}^{9+}. We present electron beam ion trap measurements of its spectra, including the inter-configuration lines that reveal the sought-after crossing. With state-of-the-art calculations we show that the proposed nHz-wide clock line has a very high sensitivity to variation of the fine-structure constant, alpha, and violation of local Lorentz invariance; and has extremely low sensitivity to external perturbations.

Lorentz violation and quantum mechanics

We report and discuss the results of double-slit-like experiments in the infrared range, which evidence an anomalous behaviour of photon systems under particular (energy and space) constraints. These outcomes apparently disagree both with standard quantum mechanics (Copenhagen interpretation) and with classical and quantum electrodynamics. Possible interpretations can be given in terms of either the existence of de Broglie–Bohm pilot waves associated to photons, and/or the violation of local Lorentz invariance (LLI). We put forward an intriguing hypothesis about the possible connection between these seemingly unrelated points of view by assuming that the pilot wave of a photon is, in the framework of LLI violation, a local deformation of the flat Minkowski spacetime.

High-precision determination of Lorentz-symmetry-violating parameters in Ca+

We present high-precision calculations of local Lorentz invariance (LLI) violating parameters of the $3d{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{D}_{3/2;5/2}$ states in ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{+}$. We have employed three variants of the relativistic coupled-cluster (RCC) theory to determine these coefficients by gradually including electron correlation effects through the single, double, and triple excitation determinants from the Dirac-Hartree-Fock wave function. A precise estimate of the energy shift due to LLI violation depends on accurate evaluations of the expectation values of the square of the momentum operator ($\ensuremath{\langle}{p}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}$) and a second rank tensor ($\ensuremath{\langle}{T}_{0}^{(2)}\ensuremath{\rangle}$). It is found that the $\ensuremath{\langle}{T}_{0}^{(2)}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ values converge smoothly with the systematic inclusion of higher-order correlation effects in an expectation value evaluation approach, however, that is not the case for $\ensuremath{\langle}{p}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}$. Similar trends were also observed in the finite-field approach. To circumvent these problems, we determine $\ensuremath{\langle}{p}^{2}\ensuremath{\rangle}$ values very precisely by developing and applying an analytic gradient approach in the RCC framework. Corrections due to the Breit and quantum electrodynamics interactions are also estimated. Further, these calculations are validated by evaluating the energies and the quadrupole moments of the above states at different levels of approximations.

An Experimental Configuration to Probe for Lorentz Symmetry Violation in Electrons Using Trapped Yb+ Ions

Since extensions of the standard model have been developed that predict violations of local Lorentz invariance (LLI), precision measurement groups have been working to reduce experimental bounds of the associated matrix element. Using an analogue of the Michelson-Morley test with trapped Ca+ ions, the current bound has been set at one part in 1018. However, by instead using Yb+ ions, which have highly stable electronic states for storing quantum information compared to their counterparts and exhibit enhanced effects of LLI breaking asymmetries, we can push the bounds to one part in 1023. In this article, we outline a configuration for such an experiment and offer solutions to experimental concerns. We develop an algorithm for state creation, manipulation, and measurement that minimizes measurement time and transition uncertainty. We also discuss necessary hardware for trapping and manipulating ions including a vacuum system, a Paul trap and the associated electrode voltage supplies, and an optics system for generating and applying transition pulses. The experiment is specifically designed to utilize the existing ion trap hardware in place at the Richerme lab at Indiana University Bloomington.

New Methods for Testing Lorentz Invariance with Atomic Systems.

We describe a broadly applicable experimental proposal to search for the violation of local Lorentz invariance (LLI) with atomic systems. The new scheme uses dynamic decoupling and can be implemented in current atomic clock experiments, with both single ions and arrays of neutral atoms. Moreover, the scheme can be performed on systems with no optical transitions, and therefore it is also applicable to highly charged ions which exhibit a particularly high sensitivity to Lorentz invariance violation. We show the results of an experiment measuring the expected signal of this proposal using a two-ion crystal of ^{88}Sr^{+} ions. We also carry out a systematic study of the sensitivity of highly charged ions to LLI to identify the best candidates for the LLI tests.

Searching for local Lorentz invariance violation with pendulum experiments

Searching for local Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) is a method to probe general relativity (GR), since local Lorentz invariance is a key ingredient for GR. Here, we first review the work we have done on LIV in the pure-gravity sector involving quadratic couplings of Riemann curvature through short-range pendulum experiments, especially focusing on the theoretical model we established for the transfer matrix linking the experimentally measured torque signal to the 14 LIV coefficients. Based on this model, we analyze the LIV effect in HUST-2011 and HUST-2015 experiments again, and give the constraints for the 14 measurable violating coefficients in both experiments. Furthermore, we propose a new experimental design aiming at exploring LIV, which may independently constrain the 14 LIV coefficients with higher sensitivity (improved by about an order of magnitude over earlier results) using the striped geometry.

Nuclear Matrix Elements for Tests of Local Lorentz Invariance Violation.

The nuclear matrix elements for the spin operator and the momentum quadrupole operator are important for the interpretation of precision atomic physics experiments that search for violations of local Lorentz and CPT symmetry and for new spin-dependent forces. We use the configuration-interaction nuclear shell model and self-consistent mean-field theory to calculate the momentum matrix elements for ^{21}Ne, ^{23}Na, ^{133}Cs, ^{173}Yb, and ^{201}Hg. We show that these momentum matrix are strongly suppressed by the many-body correlations, in contrast to the well-known enhancement of the spatial quadrupole nuclear matrix elements.

Deformed space–time transformations in Mercury

A mole of Mercury was suitably treated by ultrasound in order to generate in it the same conditions of local Lorentz invariance violation that were generated in a sonicated cylindrical bar of AISI 304 steel and that are the cause of neutron emission during the sonication. After 3 min, part of the mercury turned into a solid material which turned out to contain isotopes having a different mass (higher and lower) with respect to the isotopes already present in the initial material (mercury). These transformations in the atomic weight without gamma production above the background are brought about during Deformed Space–Time reactions. We present the results of the analyses performed on samples taken from the transformation product. The analyses have been done in two groups, the first one using five different analytical techniques: ICP-OES, XRF, ESEM-EDS, ICP-MS, INAA. In the second group of analyses, we used only two techniques: INAA and ICP-MS. The second group of analyses confirmed the occurring of the transformations in mercury.

Experimental Studies on the Lorentz Symmetry in Post-Newtonian Gravity with Pulsars

Local Lorentz invariance (LLI) is one of the most important fundamental symmetries in modern physics. While the possibility of LLI violation (LLIv) was studied extensively in flat spacetime, its counterpart in gravitational interaction also deserves significant examination from experiments. In this contribution, I review several recent studies of LLI in post-Newtonian gravity, using powerful tools of pulsar timing. It shows that precision pulsar timing experiments hold a unique position to probe LLIv in post-Newtonian gravity.

The covariant formulation of f(T) gravity

We show that the well-known problem of frame dependence and violation of local Lorentz invariance in the usual formulation of f(T) gravity is a consequence of neglecting the role of spin connection. We re-formulate f(T) gravity starting from, instead of the ‘pure tetrad’ teleparallel gravity, the covariant teleparallel gravity, using both the tetrad and the spin connection as dynamical variables, resulting in a fully covariant, consistent, and frame-independent version of f(T) gravity, which does not suffer from the notorious problems of the usual, pure tetrad, f(T) theory. We present the method to extract solutions for the most physically important cases, such as the Minkowski, the Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) and the spherically symmetric ones. We show that in covariant f(T) gravity we are allowed to use an arbitrary tetrad in an arbitrary coordinate system along with the corresponding spin connection, resulting always in the same physically relevant field equations.

Strongly enhanced effects of Lorentz symmetry violation in entangled Yb+ ions

Lorentz symmetry is one of the cornerstones of modern physics. However, a number of theories aiming at unifying gravity with the other fundamental interactions including string field theory suggest violation of Lorentz symmetry [1-4]. While the energy scale of such strongly Lorentz symmetry-violating physics is much higher than that currently attainable by particle accelerators, Lorentz violation may nevertheless be detectable via precision measurements at low energies [2]. Here, we carry out a systematic theoretical investigation of the sensitivity of a wide range of atomic systems to violation of local Lorentz invariance (LLI). Aim of these studies is to identify which atom shows the biggest promise to detect violation of Lorentz symmetry. We identify the Yb+ ion as an ideal system with high sensitivity as well as excellent experimental controllability. By applying quantum information inspired technology to Yb+, we expect tests of LLI violating physics in the electron-photon sector to reach levels of $10^{-23}$, five orders of magnitude more sensitive than the current best bounds [5-7]. Most importantly, the projected sensitivity of $10^{-23}$ for the Yb+ ion tests will allow for the first time to probe whether Lorentz violation is minimally suppressed at low energies for photons and electrons.

Matter-sector Lorentz violation in binary pulsars

Violations of local Lorentz invariance in the gravitationally coupled matter sector have yet to be sought in strong-gravity systems. We present the implications of matter-sector Lorentz violation for orbital perturbations in pulsar systems and show that the analysis of pulsar data can provide sensitivities to these effects that exceed the current reach of solar system and laboratory tests by several orders of magnitude.

Neutrino velocity and local Lorentz invariance

We discuss the possible violation of local Lorentz invariance (LLI) arising from a faster-than-light neutrino speed. A toy calculation of the LLI violation parameter [Formula: see text], based on the (disclaimed) OPERA data, suggests that the values of [Formula: see text] are determined by the interaction involved, and not by the energy range. This hypothesis is further corroborated by the analysis of the more recent results of the BOREXINO, LVD and ICARUS experiments.