Terrestrial Test of Shapiro Time Delay: Forth test of Einstein General Theory of Relativity

TL;DR

This paper proposes a fiber-based Sagnac interferometer for precise terrestrial measurement of the Shapiro time delay, aiming to test Einstein's general relativity with unprecedented sensitivity in a laboratory setting.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fiber-optic interferometer method to measure the Shapiro delay on Earth, enabling more precise tests of general relativity.

Findings

Potential sensitivity approaching 10^-9 for gamma

First laboratory-scale measurement of Shapiro delay

Independent terrestrial test of general relativity

Abstract

The Shapiro time delay is one of the four classical tests of Einstein general theory of relativity and is commonly interpreted as a constrain on the parametrized post Newtonian (PPN) parameter gamma, which is exactly unity in general relativity. To date all measurement of the Shapiro time delay have been confined to astrophysical and solar system observations, yielding constrains on the PPN parameter gamma at the 10-5 level. In this work, we propose a fiber based Sagnac interferometer for precision terrestrial measurements of the Shapiro time delay, enabling a laboratory scale determination of gamma with an intrinsic sensitivity approaching 10-9. This approach provides an independent test of general relativity in a previously unexplored regime.