Measuring the electron's electric dipole moment using ultracold molecules

Información del proyecto

UltracoldEDM

Identificador del acuerdo de subvención: 101018992

DOI

10.3030/101018992

Proyecto finalizado el 22 Abril 2022

Fecha de la firma de la CE 17 Marzo 2021

Fecha de inicio 14 Mayo 2021

Fecha de finalización 13 Mayo 2023

Financiado con arreglo a

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Coste total

€ 224 933,76

Aportación de la UE

€ 224 933,76

Coordinado por

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - UltracoldEDM (Measuring the electron's electric dipole moment using ultracold molecules)

Período documentado: 2021-05-14 hasta 2023-05-13

Resumen del contexto y de los objetivos generales del proyecto

The observed imbalance between matter and anti-matter throughout the Universe could not be understood in the current framework of physics. This implies that there must be undiscovered physics that contains new particles and interactions. However, no new particles have been detected in the particle colliders. Another complementary way to test new physics is to measure the influence of the hypothetical particles on the properties of existing particles, for example, measuring the roundness of the electron. We aim at laser cooling and trapping heavy polar molecules and using the strong internal electric field of the molecules to precisely measure how round the electron is. This will shed light on the force that shaped the early Universe. In addition, the laser cooling techniques we develop will also advance the applications of ultracold molecules, including tests of fundamental physics, quantum simulation and quantum computation.

Trabajo realizado desde el comienzo del proyecto hasta el final del período abarcado por el informe y los principales resultados hasta la fecha

In the period of this project, we have constructed and tested most parts of the instrument that will be used for the measurement the roundness of the electron. We have proposed and numerically simulated a scheme for the measurement. We have understood a problem of the molecule structure that limits laser cooling of the molecules.

Avances que van más allá del estado de la técnica e impacto potencial esperado (incluida la repercusión socioeconómica y las implicaciones sociales más amplias del proyecto hasta la fecha)

Our work on molecule structure will enable deep laser cooling of heavy molecules that are important for testing of fundamental physics. Our experimental setup will be used to measure the roundness of the electron 10 or 100 times better than the state of the art, which will probe new physics to an energy scale much higher than any conceivable particle colliders.

The proposed experimental setup