Tests of Lorentz invariance using a microwave resonator

Abstract

The frequencies of a cryogenic sapphire oscillator and a hydrogen maser are compared to set new constraints on a possible violation of Lorentz invariance. We determine the variation of the oscillator frequency as a function of its orientation (Michelson-Morley test) and of its velocity (Kennedy-Thorndike test) with respect to a preferred frame candidate. We constrain the corresponding parameters of the Mansouri and Sexl test theory to δ−β+1/2=(1.5±4.2)×10−9 and β−α−1=(−3.1±6.9)×10−7 which is of the same order as the best previous result for the former and represents a 30-fold improvement for the latter..