IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v6y2015i1d10.1038_ncomms9174.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Direct terrestrial test of Lorentz symmetry in electrodynamics to 10−18

Author

Listed:
  • Moritz Nagel

    (Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

  • Stephen R. Parker

    (School of Physics, The University of Western Australia)

  • Evgeny V. Kovalchuk

    (Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

  • Paul L. Stanwix

    (School of Physics, The University of Western Australia)

  • John G. Hartnett

    (School of Physics, The University of Western Australia
    Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide)

  • Eugene N. Ivanov

    (School of Physics, The University of Western Australia)

  • Achim Peters

    (Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)

  • Michael E. Tobar

    (School of Physics, The University of Western Australia)

Abstract

Lorentz symmetry is a foundational property of modern physics, underlying the standard model of particles and general relativity. It is anticipated that these two theories are low-energy approximations of a single theory that is unified and consistent at the Planck scale. Many unifying proposals allow Lorentz symmetry to be broken, with observable effects appearing at Planck-suppressed levels; thus, precision tests of Lorentz invariance are needed to assess and guide theoretical efforts. Here we use ultrastable oscillator frequency sources to perform a modern Michelson–Morley experiment and make the most precise direct terrestrial test to date of Lorentz symmetry for the photon, constraining Lorentz violating orientation-dependent relative frequency changes Δν/ν to 9.2±10.7 × 10−19 (95% confidence interval). This order of magnitude improvement over previous Michelson–Morley experiments allows us to set comprehensive simultaneous bounds on nine boost and rotation anisotropies of the speed of light, finding no significant violations of Lorentz symmetry.

Suggested Citation

  • Moritz Nagel & Stephen R. Parker & Evgeny V. Kovalchuk & Paul L. Stanwix & John G. Hartnett & Eugene N. Ivanov & Achim Peters & Michael E. Tobar, 2015. "Direct terrestrial test of Lorentz symmetry in electrodynamics to 10−18," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9174
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9174
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms9174
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms9174?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9174. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.