Measurements of parity violation in atomic ytterbium
Final Report Abstract
Table-top atomic physics experiments open a unique window into the physics of elementary particles and nuclei, which is complementary to collider based experiments. In this project, we investigated beyond-the-standard-model physics, for example, the presence of the hypothetical Z’ bosons, using subtle spectroscopic effects in a chain of stable isotopes of ytterbium, i.e., atoms with 70 protons and a variable number of neutrons. The two types of effects investigated were the weak-interactions-induced mixing of levels of opposite parity and nonlinearities in the so-called King plots, representing a comparison of precision isotope-shift measurements for different atomic transitions. Methodological developments include a development of a novel technique for precision isotope-shift measurements in two-photon transitions, and significant increase in the statistical sensitivity in atomic parity violation (APV) measurement via improved photon-collection efficiency and the use of large-area photodiodes as well as laser cooling on an intercombination transition. Significant attention was also paid to understanding of systematics. The results of the project were presented in a Physical Review Letters article. They were also reported at various national and international meetings.
Publications
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New Horizons: Scalar and Vector Ultralight Dark Matter (Snowmass White Paper, 2022)
D. Antypas et al.
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Precision Determination of Isotope Shifts in Ytterbium and Implications for New Physics. Physical Review Letters, 128(7).
Figueroa, N. L.; Berengut, J. C.; Dzuba, V. A.; Flambaum, V. V.; Budker, D. & Antypas, D.
