Signals for Lorentz violation in electrodynamics

TLDR

Birefringence of the vacuum is an unconventional property of radiation arising from Lorentz violation. The study investigates Lorentz‑violating electrodynamics derived from the renormalizable sector of the general Lorentz‑ and CPT‑violating standard‑model extension. The authors consider Earth‑ and space‑based laboratory configurations using optical or microwave cavities that could be implemented with existing technology. Observations of light dispersion from galactic and extragalactic sources set bounds of \(3\times10^{-16}\) on certain photon‑sector Lorentz‑violation coefficients, while spectral polarimetry of cosmological light constrains others to \(2\times10^{-32}\), and remaining coefficients can be measured with high‑sensitivity cavity‑stabilized oscillators.

Abstract

An investigation is performed of the Lorentz-violating electrodynamics extracted from the renormalizable sector of the general Lorentz- and CPT-violating standard-model extension. Among the unconventional properties of radiation arising from Lorentz violation is birefringence of the vacuum. Limits on the dispersion of light produced by galactic and extragalactic objects provide bounds of $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ on certain coefficients for Lorentz violation in the photon sector. The comparative spectral polarimetry of light from cosmologically distant sources yields stringent constraints of $2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}32}.$ All remaining coefficients in the photon sector are measurable in high-sensitivity tests involving cavity-stabilized oscillators. Experimental configurations in Earth- and space-based laboratories are considered that involve optical or microwave cavities and that could be implemented using existing technology.