Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Narrow and Ultranarrow Transitions in Highly Charged Xe Ions as Probes of Fifth Forces

  • Nils-Holger Rehbehn*
  • , Michael K. Rosner
  • , Julian C. Berengut
  • , Piet O. Schmidt
  • , Thomas Pfeifer
  • , Ming Feng Gu
  • , José R. Crespo López-Urrutia*
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Abstract

Optical frequency metrology in atoms and ions can probe hypothetical fifth forces between electrons and neutrons by sensing minute perturbations of the electronic wave function induced by them. A generalized King plot has been proposed to distinguish them from possible standard model effects arising from, e.g., finite nuclear size and electronic correlations. Additional isotopes and transitions are required for this approach. Xenon is an excellent candidate, with seven stable isotopes with zero nuclear spin, however it has no known visible ground-state transitions for high resolution spectroscopy. To address this, we have found and measured twelve magnetic-dipole lines in its highly charged ions and theoretically studied their sensitivity to fifth forces as well as the suppression of spurious higher-order standard model effects. Moreover, we identified at 764.8753(16) nm a E2-type ground-state transition with 500 s excited state lifetime as a potential clock candidate further enhancing our proposed scheme.

Original languageEnglish
Article number161803
JournalPhysical review letters
Volume131
Issue number16
E-pub ahead of print17 Oct 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Oct 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Physics and Astronomy
  • QuantumFrontiers: Cluster of Excellence 2123/1: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier

    Schmidt, P. O. (Principal Investigator), Ospelkaus-Schwarzer, S. (Principal Investigator), Chichkov, B. (Principal Investigator), Danzmann, K. (Principal Investigator), Ertmer, W. (Principal Investigator), Hammerer, K. J. (Principal Investigator), Haug, R. (Principal Investigator), Heinzel, G. (Principal Investigator), Heurs, M. (Principal Investigator), Klempt, C. (Principal Investigator), Kroker, S. (Principal Investigator), Lisdat, C. (Principal Investigator), Mehlstäubler, T. (Principal Investigator), Müller, J. (Principal Investigator), Ospelkaus, C. (Principal Investigator), Rasel, E. M. (Principal Investigator), Recher, P. (Principal Investigator), Santos, L. S. (Principal Investigator), Schilling, M. (Principal Investigator), Schlickum, U. (Principal Investigator), Schumacher, H. W. (Principal Investigator), Surzhykov, A. (Principal Investigator), Waag, A. (Principal Investigator), Werner, R. (Principal Investigator) & Willke, B. (Principal Investigator)

    1 Jan 2019 → 31 Dec 2025

    Project: Research

Cite this