Testing gravity at short distances: Gravity Resonance Spectroscopy with qBounce

Abstract

Neutrons are the ideal probes to test gravity at short distances – electrically neutral and only hardly polarizable. Furthermore, very slow, so-called ultracold neutrons form bound quantum states in the gravity potential of the Earth. This allows combining gravity experiments at short distances with powerful resonance spectroscopy techniques, as well as tests of the interplay between gravity and quantum mechanics. In the last decade, the qBounce collaboration has been performing several measurement campaigns at the ultracold and very cold neutron facility PF2 at the Institut Laue-Langevin. A new spectroscopy technique, Gravity Resonance Spectroscopy, was developed. The results were applied to test various Dark Energy and Dark Matter scenarios in the lab, like Axions, Chameleons and Symmetrons. This article reviews Gravity Resonance Spectroscopy, explains its key technology and summarizes the results obtained during the past decade.