Towards a sensitive search for variation of the fine-structure constant using radio-frequency E1 transitions in atomic dysprosium -: art. no. 022105

It has been proposed that the radio-frequency electric-dipole (E1) transition between two nearly degenerate opposite-parity states in atomic dysprosium should be highly sensitive to possible temporal variation of the fine-structure constant (alpha) [V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, and J. K. Webb, Phys. Rev. A 59, 230 (1999)]. We analyze here an experimental realization of the proposed search in progress in our laboratory, which involves monitoring the E1 transition frequency over a period of time using direct frequency counting techniques. We estimate that a statistical sensitivity of \(alpha) over dot/alpha\similar to10(-18)/yr may be achieved and discuss possible systematic effects that may limit such a measurement.