Constraints on Ultralight Dark Matter with an Optical Lattice Clock

ORAL

Abstract

I report on experimental results of a search for ultralight dark matter by frequency comparison of a 21 cm, cryogenic, ultrastable silicon cavity to a 1D optical lattice clock. Sensitivity to dark matter is provided by the different couplings of the silicon atom bond length and the strontium atom clock transition to time variations in the fine structure constant, $\alpha$. Comparison of the length of a single crystal of silicon to the clock laser transition energy in strontium therefore provides a sensitive probe of time variation of $\alpha$. Experimental results will be presented in addition to a discussion of theories of ultralight dark matter which can be tested with this platform.

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Authors

  • Colin Kennedy

    NIST, JILA-University of Colorado, JILA Univ of Colorado - Boulder

  • Eric Oelker

    JILA-University of Colorado, NIST, JILA-University of Colorado, JILA Univ of Colorado - Boulder

  • Tobias Bothwell

    NIST, JILA-University of Colorado, JILA Univ of Colorado - Boulder

  • Dhruv Kedar

    NIST, JILA-University of Colorado

  • Lindsay Sonderhouse

    NIST, JILA-University of Colorado

  • Edward Marti

    Univ of Colorado - Boulder, JILA, University of Colorado - Boulder, JILA, NIST, JILA-University of Colorado, JILA Univ of Colorado - Boulder

  • Sarah Bromley

    NIST, JILA-University of Colorado

  • John Robinson

    JILA, University of Colorado - Boulder, NIST, JILA-University of Colorado, JILA Univ of Colorado - Boulder

  • Jun Ye

    JILA, NIST and University of Colorado, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, JILA, University of Colorado / NIST, JILA, NIST, and University of Colorado, and Department of Physics, University of Colorado, JILA, University of Colorado - Boulder, JILA, NIST, JILA-University of Colorado, JILA Univ of Colorado - Boulder, University of Colorado, Boulder, JILA, University of Colorado Boulder