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arXiv · 2509.08622

Isotope shift spectroscopy in mercury vapors: a valid alternative to ytterbium for new physics search

Stefania Gravina·Antonio Castrillo·Livio Gianfrani
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Abstract

Precision isotope shift metrology in the deep-UV region has been performed for all bosonic isotopes of mercury with a zero nuclear spin, by using the technique of frequency-comb referenced, wavelength-modulated, saturated absorption spectroscopy. The absolute center frequencies of the 6s$^2$ $^1$S$_0$ $\rightarrow$ 6s6p $^3$P$_1$ intercombination line have been measured with precision in the range of 2.5 - 5.9 10$^{-12}$, in temperature-stabilized mercury vapor samples with natural abundances. Frequency shifts in four isotope pairs have been determined with unprecedented accuracy, the global uncertainty being improved by a factor greater than 20 with respect to the best experimental data of the past literature. Our data set, when combined with previous measurements on the 6s6p $^3$P$_2$$\rightarrow$6s7s $^3$S$_1$ transition at 546 nm, allows us to build a King plot that reveals a nonlinearity with a statistical significance of 4.6$\sigma$.

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Stefania Gravina, Antonio Castrillo, Livio Gianfrani. 2025-09-10. Isotope shift spectroscopy in mercury vapors: a valid alternative to ytterbium for new physics search. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.08622

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