Speaker
Description
The most precise measurements of the electron’s electric dipole moment (eEDM) all use molecules [1,2]. The molecules are spin polarized, and the eEDM determined by measuring the spin precession frequency in an applied electric field. The precession is due to the interaction of the eEDM with an effective electric field which can be exceptionally large for heavy polar molecules. To reach high precision we need long spin precession times, which is only possible with neutral molecules if they are cooled to low temperatures. I will report progress towards an eEDM measurement using laser-cooled YbF molecules [3]. In one experiment, we produce a beam of molecules cooled to sub-Doppler temperatures in the two transverse directions and measure the spin precession frequency as the molecules fly. This experiment is operational, and I will present the sensitivity that we reach and our efforts to control systematic errors. I will also present our progress in producing very slow YbF molecules and trapping them, with the longer-term aim of making an eEDM measurement using molecules trapped in an optical lattice.
[1] V. Andreev et al., Nature 562, 355 (2018)
[2] T. S. Roussy et al., Science 381, 46 (2023)
[3] N. J. Fitch, J. Lim, E. A. Hinds, B. E. Sauer and M. R. Tarbutt., Quantum Sci. Technol. 6, 014006 (2021)
