Method for Precision Test of Fine Structure Constant Variation with Optical Frequency References

J. R. Torgerson

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arXiv · physics/0012054

Method for Precision Test of Fine Structure Constant Variation with Optical Frequency References

J. R. Torgerson

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Abstract

A new method for examining the possible space-time variation of the fine structure constant ($α$) is proposed. The technique uses a relatively simple measurement with an optical resonator to compare atom-stabilized optical frequency references. This method does not require that the exact frequency of each reference be measured, and has the potential to yield more than a 1000-fold improvement in experimental sensitivity to changes in $α$. A specific realization of an experiment using this method is discussed which can approach the precision of ${\dotα/α}\sim10^{-18}/τ$, where $τ$ is the measurement time. Moreover, for this specific realization, a measurement of ${\dotα/α}\sim10^{-15}/{\rm yr}$ as a near-term goal is realistic.

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BibTeX RIS

J. R. Torgerson. 2001-12-24. Method for Precision Test of Fine Structure Constant Variation with Optical Frequency References. https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0012054

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