# Determination of the scalar and vector polarizabilities of the cesium $6s \ ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s \ ^2S_{1/2}$ transition and implications for atomic parity non-conservation

## TL;DR

This paper precisely determines the scalar and vector polarizabilities of cesium's 6s to 7s transition using high-precision measurements, revealing discrepancies with previous values that impact atomic parity non-conservation studies.

## Contribution

It provides the most accurate values to date for cesium's polarizabilities, influencing interpretations of fundamental physics experiments.

## Key findings

- New polarizability values with highest precision to date
- Discrepancy found between new and previous vector polarizability values
- Implications for the interpretation of atomic parity non-conservation measurements

## Abstract

Using recent high-precision measurements of electric dipole matrix elements of atomic cesium, we make an improved determination of the scalar ($\alpha$) and vector ($\beta$) polarizabilities of the cesium $6s \ ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s \ ^2S_{1/2} $ transition calculated through a sum-over-states method. We report values of $\alpha = -268.82 \ (30) \ a_0^3$ and $\beta = 27.139 \ (42) \ a_0^3$ with the highest precision to date. We find a discrepancy between our value of $\beta$ and the past preferred value, resulting in a significant shift in the value of the weak charge $Q_w$ of the cesium nucleus. Future work to resolve the differences in the polarizability will be critical for interpretation of parity non-conservation measurements in cesium, which have implications for physics beyond the Standard Model.