“Testing Lorentz and CPT Symmetry via in-beam Hyperfine Spectroscopy of Deuterium”
Abstract
Lorentz and CPT symmetry are among the deepest foundations of modern physics — yet theories beyond the Standard Model suggest they may not be absolute. The Standard Model Extension (SME) provides a framework to quantify such violations, with atomic spectroscopy among the most sensitive probes.This work exploits the unusually high relative momentum of the proton in deuterium — roughly five orders of magnitude greater than in hydrogen — to constrain Lorentz-violating SME coefficients. Using an in-beam Rabi-type setup with a double-gap split ring resonator, spin-dependent proton coefficients in the SME were improved by up to 14 orders of magnitude, spin-independent bounds were placed for the first time.
Defense committee:
Randolf Pohl, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, DE (reviewer)
Francois Nez, Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, FR (reviewer)
Eberhard Widmann (supervisor)
Thomas Pichler (chair)