Improved limits for violations of local position invariance from atomic clock comparisons

TL;DR

This study uses comparisons of two optical Yb+ clocks over several years to set new, tighter limits on possible variations of fundamental constants and their coupling to gravity, testing local position invariance.

Contribution

It provides improved experimental limits on the temporal variation of fundamental constants and their gravitational coupling using atomic clock comparisons.

Findings

Limits on the variation of the fine structure constant improved by a factor of 20.

Limits on the proton-to-electron mass ratio variation improved by a factor of 2.

New bounds on the coupling of constants to gravitational potential established.

Abstract

We compare two optical clocks based on the $^2$S$_{1/2}(F=0)\to {}^2$D$_{3/2}(F=2)$ electric quadrupole (E2) and the $^2$S$_{1/2}(F=0)\to {}^2$F$_{7/2}(F=3)$ electric octupole (E3) transition of $^{171}$Yb$^{+}$ and measure the frequency ratio $\nu_{\mathrm{E3}}/\nu_{\mathrm{E2}}=0.932\,829\,404\,530\,965\,376(32)$. We determine the transition frequency $\nu_{E3}=642\,121\,496\,772\,645.10(8)$ Hz using two caesium fountain clocks. Repeated measurements of both quantities over several years are analyzed for potential violations of local position invariance. We improve by factors of about 20 and 2 the limits for fractional temporal variations of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ to $1.0(1.1)\times10^{-18}/\mathrm{yr}$ and of the proton-to-electron mass ratio $\mu$ to $-8(36)\times10^{-18}/\mathrm{yr}$. Using the annual variation of the Sun's gravitational potential at Earth $\Phi$, we improve limits for a potential coupling of both constants to gravity, $(c^2/\alpha) (d\alpha/d\Phi)=14(11)\times 10^{-9}$ and $(c^2/\mu) (d\mu/d\Phi)=7(45)\times 10^{-8}$.