© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

arXiv:1804.04446 · The European Physical Journal C

Experimental search for the violation of Pauli exclusion principle

H. Shi, E. Milotti, S. Bartalucci, M. Bazzi, S. Bertolucci, A. M. Bragadireanu, M. Cargnelli, A. Clozza, Luca De Paolis, S. Di Matteo, J.-P. Egger, Hebatalla Elnaggar, C. Guaraldo, M. Iliescu, Matthias Laubenstein, J. Marton, Marco Miliucci, A. Pichler, Dorel Pietreanu, K. Piscicchia, A. Scordo, Diana Sirghi, Florin Catalin Sirghi, L. Sperandio, O. Vázquez Doce, E. Widmann, Johann Zmeskal, C. Curceanu

Published Apr 1, 2018• 30 citations

Abstract

The VIolation of Pauli exclusion principle -2 experiment, or VIP-2 experiment, at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso searches for X-rays from copper atomic transitions that are prohibited by the Pauli exclusion principle. Candidate direct violation events come from the transition of a 2p electron to the ground state that is already occupied by two electrons. From the first data taking campaign in 2016 of VIP-2 experiment, we determined a best upper limit of $$3.4~\times ~10^{-29}$$ for the probability that such a violation exists. Significant improvement in the control of the experimental systematics was also achieved, although not explicitly reflected in the improved upper limit. By introducing a simultaneous spectral fit of the signal and background data in the analysis, we succeeded in taking into account systematic errors that could not be evaluated previously in this type of measurements.

DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5802-4

Related papers

Test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle in the VIP-2 Underground Experiment

Catalina Curceanu, Hexi Shi, Sergio Bartalucci +25 more

The validity of the Pauli exclusion principle—a building block of Quantum Mechanics—is tested for electrons. The VIP (violation of Pauli exclusion principle) and its follow-up VIP-2 experiments at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso search for X-rays from copper atomic transitions that are prohibited by the Pauli exclusion principle. The candidate events—if they exist—originate from the transition of a 2 p orbit electron to the ground state which is already occupied by two electrons. The present limit on the probability for Pauli exclusion principle violation for electrons set by the VIP experiment is 4.7 × 10 − 29 . We report a first result from the VIP-2 experiment improving on the VIP limit, which solidifies the final goal of achieving a two orders of magnitude gain in the long run.

arXiv:1705.02165•Entropy•Jun 24, 2017•21 citations

VIP EXPERIMENT: NEW EXPERIMENTAL LIMIT ON PAULI EXCLUSION PRINCIPLE VIOLATION BY ELECTRONS

Dorel Pietreanu, Sergio Bartalucci, S. Bertolucci +19 more

The VIP (Violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment is investigating one of the basic principles of modern physics, searching for anomalous X-rays emitted by copper atoms in a conductor: any detection of these anomalous X-rays would mark a Pauli forbidden transition. VIP is currently taking data at the Gran Sasso underground laboratories, and its scientific goal is to improve by three-four orders of magnitude the previous limit on the probability of Pauli violating transitions, bringing it into the 10-29÷-30 region. The new experimental results, together with future plans, are presented.

International Journal of Modern Physics A•Jan 30, 2009•1 citation

The key role of the Silicon Drift Detectors in testing the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons: the VIP-2 experiment

Luca De Paolis, Aidin Amirkhani, Sergio Bartalucci +27 more

Abstract The VIP experiment performed an accurate investigation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons. The apparatus was installed in the Gran Sasso Laboratories of the National Institute of Nuclear Physic in Italy, an underground environment with an extremely low cosmic background. The aim of the experiment was to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons in a copper target circulated by a Direct Current (DC) current, searching for X-rays emission due to an atomic transition forbidden by Pauli exclusion principle, from the L shell to the K shell of copper when the K shell is already occupied by two electrons. VIP set an upper limit on the Pauli exclusion principle violation probability 1/2β 2 <4.7 χ 10–29. The goal of the upgraded VIP-2 experiment, presently in data taking at Gran Sasso Laboratories, is to improve this limit by two orders of magnitude. The VIP-2 experimental apparatus, in which the Silicon Drift Detectors have the key role of X-ray detectors, and preliminary results are presented.

Journal of Physics Conference Series•May 1, 2020•4 citations

VIP-2 - Testing spin-statistics for electrons with high sensitivity

Johann Marton, A. Amirkahani, Sergio Bartalucci +22 more

The VIP-2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment conducted at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) of INFN is searching for possible tiny violations of standard quantum mechanics in copper atoms with extremely high sensitivity. We investigate atomic transitions with precision X-ray spectroscopy in order to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) and therefore the spin-statistics theorem. We present the experimental method for the search for "anomalous" (i.e. Pauli-forbidden) X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by "new" electrons, which could have a tiny probability to undergo a Pauli-forbidden transition to the 1s ground state already occupied by two electrons. We describe the VIP-2 experimental setup and its recent optimisations. Presently VIP-2 is taking data at LNGS. The goal of VIP-2 is to test PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10 −31 (and using a more elaborate analysis even 10 −40 ). We present current experimental results.

Journal of Physics Conference Series•Feb 1, 2020•0 citations

High Precision Test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for Electrons

Kristian Piscicchia, Aidin Amirkhani, Sergio Bartalucci +25 more

The VIP-2 experiment aims to perform high precision tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons. The method consists in circulating a continuous current in a copper strip, searching for the X radiation emission due to a prohibited transition (from the 2p level to the 1s level of copper when this is already occupied by two electrons). VIP already set the best limit on the PEP violation probability for electrons 1 2 β 2 < 4.7 × 10 − 29 , the goal of the upgraded VIP-2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle-2) experiment is to improve this result of two orders of magnitude at least. The experimental apparatus and the results of the analysis of a first set of collected data will be presented.

Condensed Matter•May 2, 2019•4 citations

Search for a violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle with electrons

Andreas Pichler, Sergio Bartalucci, M. Bazzi +28 more

The Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) was famously discovered in 1925 by the austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli. Since then, it underwent several experimental tests. Starting in 2006, the VIP (Violation of the Pauli Principle) experiment looked for 2p to 1s X-ray transitions in copper, where 2 electrons are present in the 1s state before the transition happens. These transitions violate the PEP, and the lack of detection of the corresponding X-ray photons lead to a preliminary upper limit for the violation of the PEP of 4.7 * 10^(-29). The follow-up experiment VIP 2 is currently in the testing phase and will be transported to its final destination, the underground laboratory of Gran Sasso in Italy, in autumn 2015. Several improvements compared to its predecessor like the use of new X-ray detectors and active shielding from background gives rise to a goal for the improvement of the upper limit of the probability for the violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle of 2 orders of magnitude.

European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics (EPS-HEP)•Mar 16, 2016•0 citations

The VIolation of Pauli exclusion principle -2 experiment, or VIP-2 experiment, at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso searches for X-rays from copper atomic transitions that are prohibited by the Pauli exclusion principle. Candidate direct violation events come from the transition of a 2p electron to the ground state that is already occupied by two electrons. From the first data taking campaign in 2016 of VIP-2 experiment, we determined a best upper limit of

3.4~\times ~10^{-29}

for the probability that such a violation exists. Significant improvement in the control of the experimental systematics was also achieved, although not explicitly reflected in the improved upper limit. By introducing a simultaneous spectral fit of the signal and background data in the analysis, we succeeded in taking into account systematic errors that could not be evaluated previously in this type of measurements.

The validity of the Pauli exclusion principle—a building block of Quantum Mechanics—is tested for electrons. The VIP (violation of Pauli exclusion principle) and its follow-up VIP-2 experiments at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso search for X-rays from copper atomic transitions that are prohibited by the Pauli exclusion principle. The candidate events—if they exist—originate from the transition of a 2 p orbit electron to the ground state which is already occupied by two electrons. The present limit on the probability for Pauli exclusion principle violation for electrons set by the VIP experiment is 4.7 × 10 − 29 . We report a first result from the VIP-2 experiment improving on the VIP limit, which solidifies the final goal of achieving a two orders of magnitude gain in the long run.

The VIP (Violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment is investigating one of the basic principles of modern physics, searching for anomalous X-rays emitted by copper atoms in a conductor: any detection of these anomalous X-rays would mark a Pauli forbidden transition. VIP is currently taking data at the Gran Sasso underground laboratories, and its scientific goal is to improve by three-four orders of magnitude the previous limit on the probability of Pauli violating transitions, bringing it into the 10-29÷-30 region. The new experimental results, together with future plans, are presented.

Abstract The VIP experiment performed an accurate investigation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons. The apparatus was installed in the Gran Sasso Laboratories of the National Institute of Nuclear Physic in Italy, an underground environment with an extremely low cosmic background. The aim of the experiment was to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons in a copper target circulated by a Direct Current (DC) current, searching for X-rays emission due to an atomic transition forbidden by Pauli exclusion principle, from the L shell to the K shell of copper when the K shell is already occupied by two electrons. VIP set an upper limit on the Pauli exclusion principle violation probability 1/2β 2 <4.7 χ 10–29. The goal of the upgraded VIP-2 experiment, presently in data taking at Gran Sasso Laboratories, is to improve this limit by two orders of magnitude. The VIP-2 experimental apparatus, in which the Silicon Drift Detectors have the key role of X-ray detectors, and preliminary results are presented.

The VIP-2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle) experiment conducted at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) of INFN is searching for possible tiny violations of standard quantum mechanics in copper atoms with extremely high sensitivity. We investigate atomic transitions with precision X-ray spectroscopy in order to test the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) and therefore the spin-statistics theorem. We present the experimental method for the search for "anomalous" (i.e. Pauli-forbidden) X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by "new" electrons, which could have a tiny probability to undergo a Pauli-forbidden transition to the 1s ground state already occupied by two electrons. We describe the VIP-2 experimental setup and its recent optimisations. Presently VIP-2 is taking data at LNGS. The goal of VIP-2 is to test PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10 −31 (and using a more elaborate analysis even 10 −40 ). We present current experimental results.

The VIP-2 experiment aims to perform high precision tests of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons. The method consists in circulating a continuous current in a copper strip, searching for the X radiation emission due to a prohibited transition (from the 2p level to the 1s level of copper when this is already occupied by two electrons). VIP already set the best limit on the PEP violation probability for electrons 1 2 β 2 < 4.7 × 10 − 29 , the goal of the upgraded VIP-2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle-2) experiment is to improve this result of two orders of magnitude at least. The experimental apparatus and the results of the analysis of a first set of collected data will be presented.

The Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) was famously discovered in 1925 by the austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli. Since then, it underwent several experimental tests. Starting in 2006, the VIP (Violation of the Pauli Principle) experiment looked for 2p to 1s X-ray transitions in copper, where 2 electrons are present in the 1s state before the transition happens. These transitions violate the PEP, and the lack of detection of the corresponding X-ray photons lead to a preliminary upper limit for the violation of the PEP of 4.7 * 10^(-29). The follow-up experiment VIP 2 is currently in the testing phase and will be transported to its final destination, the underground laboratory of Gran Sasso in Italy, in autumn 2015. Several improvements compared to its predecessor like the use of new X-ray detectors and active shielding from background gives rise to a goal for the improvement of the upper limit of the probability for the violation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle of 2 orders of magnitude.