Northwestern Events Calendar

Mar
1
2022

CFP Colloquium: Michael Tarbutt: Measuring the electron’s electric dipole moment using ultracold YbF molecules

When: Tuesday, March 1, 2022
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CT

Where: Technological Institute, F160, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 map it

Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students

Contact: Laura Nevins   (847) 467-6678

Group: Center for Fundamental Physics Colloquia

Category: Lectures & Meetings, Academic

Description:

Abstract: Measurements of the electron’s electric dipole moment (eEDM) test time-reversal symmetry and are exceptionally demanding tests of physics beyond the Standard Model. The best current experiments measure how an applied electric field changes the spin precession rate of a heavy polar molecule. These measurements already constrain new physics with energy scales up to 30 TeV. One approach to improving the sensitivity is to cool molecules to low temperature in order to reach much longer spin precession times. This can now be done for some suitable molecules, such as YbF, by direct laser cooling. We have recently learned how to form a slow beam of YbF and cool it to microkelvin temperatures. I will present this work, along with our progress towards two eEDM experiments, one using a beam of ultracold molecules and the other using trapped molecules. A particular challenge is the measurement and control of magnetic fields at the sub-fT level while also applying electric fields of order 20 kV/cm. I will present the performance of the eEDM interaction region we have constructed to achieve this.

Michael Tarbutt, Professor of Experimental Physics, Imperial College London

Host: Gerald Gabrielse

 

Keywords: CFP, Physics

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