Test of Special Relativity Using a Fiber Network of Optical Clocks

authored by: P. Delva, J. Lodewyck, S. Bilicki, E. Bookjans, G. Vallet, R. Le Targat, P. E. Pottie, C. Guerlin, F. Meynadier, C. Le Poncin-Lafitte, O. Lopez, A. Amy-Klein, W. K. Lee, N. Quintin, C. Lisdat, A. Al-Masoudi, S. Dörscher, C. Grebing, G. Grosche, A. Kuhl, S. Raupach, U. Sterr, I. R. Hill, R. Hobson, W. Bowden, J. Kronjäger, G. Marra, A. Rolland, F. N. Baynes, H. S. Margolis, P. Gill
Abstract: Phase compensated optical fiber links enable high accuracy atomic clocks separated by thousands of kilometers to be compared with unprecedented statistical resolution. By searching for a daily variation of the frequency difference between four strontium optical lattice clocks in different locations throughout Europe connected by such links, we improve upon previous tests of time dilation predicted by special relativity. We obtain a constraint on the Robertson-Mansouri-Sexl parameter |α. 1×10-8, quantifying a violation of time dilation, thus improving by a factor of around 2 the best known constraint obtained with Ives-Stilwell type experiments, and by 2 orders of magnitude the best constraint obtained by comparing atomic clocks. This work is the first of a new generation of tests of fundamental physics using optical clocks and fiber links. As clocks improve, and as fiber links are routinely operated, we expect that the tests initiated in this Letter will improve by orders of magnitude in the near future.
External Organisation(s): Observatoire de Paris (OBSPARIS)
École normale supérieure (Paris)
Universite Paris 13
Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt PTB
National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Type: Article
Journal: Physical review letters
Volume: 118
ISSN: 0031-9007
Publication date: 02.06.2017
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: General Physics and Astronomy
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.221102 (Access: Unknown)

BibTeX

@article{c2c5fe27de504aac827a1d5f0219cf82,
title = "Test of Special Relativity Using a Fiber Network of Optical Clocks",
abstract = "Phase compensated optical fiber links enable high accuracy atomic clocks separated by thousands of kilometers to be compared with unprecedented statistical resolution. By searching for a daily variation of the frequency difference between four strontium optical lattice clocks in different locations throughout Europe connected by such links, we improve upon previous tests of time dilation predicted by special relativity. We obtain a constraint on the Robertson-Mansouri-Sexl parameter |α. 1×10-8, quantifying a violation of time dilation, thus improving by a factor of around 2 the best known constraint obtained with Ives-Stilwell type experiments, and by 2 orders of magnitude the best constraint obtained by comparing atomic clocks. This work is the first of a new generation of tests of fundamental physics using optical clocks and fiber links. As clocks improve, and as fiber links are routinely operated, we expect that the tests initiated in this Letter will improve by orders of magnitude in the near future.",
author = "P. Delva and J. Lodewyck and S. Bilicki and E. Bookjans and G. Vallet and {Le Targat}, R. and Pottie, {P. E.} and C. Guerlin and F. Meynadier and {Le Poncin-Lafitte}, C. and O. Lopez and A. Amy-Klein and Lee, {W. K.} and N. Quintin and C. Lisdat and A. Al-Masoudi and S. D{\"o}rscher and C. Grebing and G. Grosche and A. Kuhl and S. Raupach and U. Sterr and Hill, {I. R.} and R. Hobson and W. Bowden and J. Kronj{\"a}ger and G. Marra and A. Rolland and Baynes, {F. N.} and Margolis, {H. S.} and P. Gill",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 American Physical Society.",
year = "2017",
month = jun,
day = "2",
doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.221102",
language = "English",
volume = "118",
journal = "Physical review letters",
issn = "0031-9007",
publisher = "American Physical Society",
number = "22",
}