Objective
I propose to build an instrument that cools YbF molecules to microK temperature using laser light, and throws them up as a fountain in free fall. This will be used to detect CP-violating elementary particle interactions that caused our universe to evolve an excess of matter over antimatter These interactions cause the charge distribution of the electron to be slightly non-spherical and it is this property, the permanent electric dipole moment (EDM), that the ultracold molecules will sense.
Laser cooling of any molecule is very new, with first results emerging from a few laboratories including mine. Developing a fountain of molecules will be a major advance in the state of the art. As well as being the key to the new EDM instrument, this will be important in its own right because ultracold molecules have major applications in chemistry, quantum information processing and metrology.
In the fountain, the electron spin of each molecule will be polarized. On applying a perpendicular electric field, the spins will precess in proportion to the EDM. At present the (warm) YbF molecules in my lab precess for only 1ms. This gives us world-leading sensitivity, but has not been sufficient to detect the CP-violating forces being sought. The fountain however will achieve precession times of almost a second, giving over 1000x more rotation. The increase in sensitivity should reveal a clear EDM, providing information about the fundamental laws of physics, and the important CP-violating physics of the early universe, which is currently not understood.
By advancing the preparation of ultracold molecules, this project will address a key question in particle physics and cosmology: the nature of CP-violating physics beyond the standard model. The approach is radically different from standard accelerator physics and complements it. The sensitivity is sufficient to detect some proposed new forces that are beyond the reach of any current collider experiment.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics particle accelerator
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering computer hardware quantum computers
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy physical cosmology
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- social sciences law
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2012-ADG_20120216
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
SW7 2AZ London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.