CPT and Lorentz violation as signatures for Planck-scale physics

In recent years, the breakdown of spacetime symmetries has been identified as a promising research field in the context of Planck-scale phenomenology. For example, various theoretical approaches to the quantum-gravity problem are known to accommodate minute violations of CPT invariance. This talk covers various topics within this research area. In particular, some mechanisms for spacetime-symmetry breaking as well as the Standard-Model Extension (SME) test framework will be reviewed; the connection between CPT and Lorentz invariance in quantum field theory will be exposed; and various experimental CPT tests with emphasis on matter--antimatter comparisons will be discussed.Comment: 6 page

Gravitational Redshift, Equivalence Principle, and Matter Waves

We review matter wave and clock comparison tests of the gravitational redshift. To elucidate their relationship to tests of the universality of free fall (UFF), we define scenarios wherein redshift violations are coupled to violations of UFF ("type II"), or independent of UFF violations ("type III"), respectively. Clock comparisons and atom interferometers are sensitive to similar effects in type II and precisely the same effects in type III scenarios, although type III violations remain poorly constrained. Finally, we describe the "Geodesic Explorer," a conceptual spaceborne atom interferometer that will test the gravitational redshift with an accuracy 5 orders of magnitude better than current terrestrial redshift experiments for type II scenarios and 12 orders of magnitude better for type III.Comment: Work in progress. 11 page

Limits on isotropic Lorentz violation in QED from collider physics

We consider the possibility that Lorentz violation can generate differences between the limiting velocities of light and charged matter. Such effects would lead to efficient vacuum Cherenkov radiation or rapid photon decay. The absence of such effects for 104.5 GeV electrons at the Large Electron Positron collider and for 300 GeV photons at the Tevatron therefore constrains this type of Lorentz breakdown. Within the context of the standard-model extension, these ideas imply an experimental bound at the level of -5.8 x 10^{-12} <= \tilde{\kappa}_{tr}-(4/3)c_e^{00} <= 1.2 x 10^{-11} tightening existing laboratory measurements by 3-4 orders of magnitude. Prospects for further improvements with terrestrial and astrophysical methods are discussed.Comment: Replaced with final version published in PR

Atom Interferometers and the Gravitational Redshift

From the principle of equivalence, Einstein predicted that clocks slow down in a gravitational field. Since the general theory of relativity is based on the principle of equivalence, it is essential to test this prediction accurately. Muller, Peters and Chu claim that a reinterpretation of decade old experiments with atom interferometers leads to a sensitive test of this gravitational redshift effect at the Compton frequency. Wolf et al dispute this claim and adduce arguments against it. In this article, we distill these arguments to a single fundamental objection: an atom is NOT a clock ticking at the Compton frequency. We conclude that atom interferometry experiments conducted to date do not yield such sensitive tests of the gravitational redshift. Finally, we suggest a new interferometric experiment to measure the gravitational redshift, which realises a quantum version of the classical clock "paradox".Comment: 18 pages, one figure, improved discussion, corrected typo