The PVLAS experiment: measuring vacuum magnetic birefringence and dichroism with a birefringent Fabry–Perot cavity

The European Physical Journal C

Ruggero Pengo¹  Giuseppe Ruoso¹  Ugo Gastaldi²  Giuseppe Messineo³  Aldo Ejlli³  Guido Zavattini³  Edoardo Milotti⁴  Federico Della Valle⁴ 

[1] Lab. Naz. di Legnaro, INFN, viale dell’Università 2, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy;Sez. di Ferrara, INFN, via G. Saragat 1, Edificio C, 44122, Ferrara, Italy;Sez. di Ferrara, INFN, via G. Saragat 1, Edificio C, 44122, Ferrara, Italy;Dip. di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università di Ferrara, via G. Saragat 1, Edificio C, 44122, Ferrara, Italy;Sez. di Trieste, INFN, via A. Valerio 2, 34127, Trieste, Italy;Dip. di Fisica, Università di Trieste, via A. Valerio 2, 34127, Trieste, Italy;

关键词: Resonance Curve;    Rotation Measurement;    Relative Intensity Noise;    Linear Birefringence;    Slow Axis;   

DOI  :  10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3869-8

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Vacuum magnetic birefringence was predicted long time ago and is still lacking a direct experimental confirmation. Several experimental efforts are striving to reach this goal, and the sequence of results promises a success in the next few years. This measurement generally is accompanied by the search for hypothetical light particles that couple to two photons. The PVLAS experiment employs a sensitive polarimeter based on a high finesse Fabry–Perot cavity. In this paper we report on the latest experimental results of this experiment. The data are analysed taking into account the intrinsic birefringence of the dielectric mirrors of the cavity. Besides a new limit on the vacuum magnetic birefringence, the measurements also allow the model-independent exclusion of new regions in the parameter space of axion-like and milli-charged particles. In particular, these last limits hold also for all types of neutrinos, resulting in a laboratory limit on their charge.

【 授权许可】

CC BY