Lorentz and CPT tests with charge-to-mass ratio comparisons in Penning traps

TL;DR

This paper uses quantum electrodynamics with Lorentz- and CPT-violating operators to analyze Penning-trap experiments, deriving new constraints on violation coefficients from charge-to-mass ratio comparisons.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for interpreting Penning-trap experiments in the context of Lorentz and CPT violation, providing the first constraints on 69 violation coefficients.

Findings

Derived Lorentz- and CPT-violating contributions to energy levels and frequencies.

Showed the interpretation of charge-to-mass ratio differences depends on the theoretical context.

Established new experimental bounds on violation coefficients.

Abstract

Applications of the general theory of quantum electrodynamics with Lorentz- and CPT-violating operators of mass dimensions up to six are presented to Penning-trap experiments comparing charge-to-mass ratios between particles and antiparticles. Perturbation theory is used to derive Lorentz- and CPT-violating contributions to the energy levels and cyclotron frequencies of confined particles and antiparticles. We show that whether the experimental {\it interpreted} quantity $(|q|/m)_{\overline{w}}/(|q|/m)_{w} - 1$ is a clean measure of a CPT test depends on the context of the relevant theory. Existing experimental results of charge-to-mass ratio comparisons are used to obtain first-time constraints on 69 coefficients for Lorentz and CPT violation.