Analysis of atomic-clock data to constrain variations of fundamental constants

• Main Authors: Sherrill, Nathaniel, Parsons, Adam O, Baynham, Charles F. A, Bowden, William, Curtis, E. Anne, Hendricks, Richard, Hill, Ian R, Hobson, Richard, Margolis, Helen S, Robertson, Billy I, Schioppo, Marco, Szymaniec, Krzysztof, Tofful, Alexandra, Tunesi, Jacob, Godun, Rachel M, Calmet, Xavier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 09.02.2023
• Subjects: Physics - Atomic Physics; Physics - High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2302.04565

New J.Phys. 25 (2023) 9, 093012 We present a new framework to study the time variation of fundamental constants in a model-independent way. Model independence implies more free parameters than assumed in previous studies. Using data from atomic clocks based on $^{87}$Sr, $^{171}$Yb$^+$ and $^{133}$Cs, we set bounds on parameters controlling the variation of the fine-structure constant, $\alpha$, and the electron-to-proton mass ratio, $\mu$. We consider variations on timescales ranging from a minute to almost a day. In addition, we use our results to derive some of the tightest limits to date on the parameter space of models of ultralight dark matter and axion-like particles.