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arXiv · 2111.01429

Precision determination of isotope shifts in ytterbium and implications for new physics

N. L. Figueroa·J. C. Berengut·V. A. Dzuba·V. V. Flambaum·D. Budker·D. Antypas
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Abstract

We report measurements of isotope shifts for the five spinless Yb isotopes on the $6s^2\,^1\textrm{S}_0 \rightarrow 5d6s\,^1\textrm{D}_2$ transition using Doppler-free two-photon spectroscopy. We combine these data with existing measurements on two transitions in Yb$^+$ [Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 123002 (2020)], where deviation from King-plot linearity showed hints of a new bosonic force carrier at the 3$\sigma$ level. The combined data strongly reduces the significance of the new-physics signal. We show that the observed nonlinearity in the joint Yb/Yb$^+$ King-plot analysis can be accounted for by the deformation of the Yb nuclei.

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N. L. Figueroa, J. C. Berengut, V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, D. Budker, D. Antypas. 2021-11-02. Precision determination of isotope shifts in ytterbium and implications for new physics. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.128.073001

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