Limit on the Temporal Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant Using Atomic Dysprosium

Abstract

Over a period of eight months, we have monitored transition frequencies between nearly degenerate, opposite-parity levels in two isotopes of atomic dysprosium (Dy). These transition frequencies are highly sensitive to temporal variation of the fine-structure constant ($\alpha$) due to relativistic corrections of large and opposite sign for the opposite-parity levels. In this unique system, in contrast to atomic-clock comparisons, the difference of the electronic energies of the opposite-parity levels can be monitored directly utilizing a radio-frequency (rf) electric-dipole transition between them. Our measurements show that the frequency variation of the 3.1-MHz transition in $^{163}$Dy and the 235-MHz transition in $^{162}$Dy are 9.0$\pm$6.7 Hz/yr and -0.6$\pm$6.5 Hz/yr, respectively. These results provide a value for the rate of fractional variation of $\alpha$ of $(-2.7\pm2.6)\times 10^{-15}$ yr$^{-1}$ (1 $\sigma$) without any assumptions on the constancy of other fundamental constants, indicating absence of significant variation at the present level of sensitivity.