Looking for Lorentz Violation in Short-Range Gravity

TL;DR

This paper investigates potential Lorentz symmetry violations in short-range gravity experiments, analyzing recent data to set stringent constraints on nonminimal Lorentz-violation coefficients within the SME framework.

Contribution

It provides the first analysis of recent short-range gravity data to constrain nonminimal Lorentz-violation coefficients in the SME.

Findings

No Lorentz violation signals detected at micron scales

Sets new bounds on nonminimal Lorentz-violation coefficients

Enhances tests of fundamental symmetries in gravity

Abstract

General violations of Lorentz symmetry can be described by the Standard-Model Extension (SME) framework. The SME predicts modifications to existing physics and can be tested in high-precision experiments. By looking for small deviations from Newton gravity, short-range gravity experiments are expected to be sensitive to possible gravitational Lorentz-violation signals. With two group's short-range gravity data analyzed recently, no nonminimal Lorentz violation signal is found at the micron distance scale, which gives stringent constraints on nonminimal Lorentz-violation coefficients in the SME.