Searching for the electron electric dipole moment using molecules trapped in ice

by Amar Vutha (Department of Physics University of Toronto)

Tuesday 26 Jul 2022, 15:30 → 16:30 Europe/Rome

1/1-2 - Aula "C. Voci" (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia - Edificio Marzolo)

We live in an imbalanced universe: there is no natural antimatter anywhere. This imbalance is believed to stem from new physics that breaks time-reversal symmetry. Precision measurements of permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs) can reveal such new physics at energy scales beyond the direct reach of colliders.

We have begun investigating a new platform -- polar molecules trapped in inert ice crystals -- as a way to obtain higher sensitivity in measurements of the electron EDM. I will introduce the field of EDM searches and present my group's investigations on barium monofluoride (BaF) molecules trapped in neon ice.