Development of an Experiment to Measure ^129Xe EDM using two species of Noble Gas Masers
Abstract
We are developing an experiment to search for a CP violating permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) by observing frequency shifts of ^129Xe and ^3He Zeeman masers in an electric field. The ^3He maser is used as a magnetometer to monitor any long range magnetic dipole couplings that could produce a false EDM while the ^129Xe maser, at least 700 times more sensitive to sources of CP violation, measures both the magnetic dipole and EDM couplings. The masers are effected when a noble gas population inversion in the Zeeman levels, generated by spin exchange with optically pumped Rb, is coupled to a resonant AF cavity. The maser oscillations can be maintained continuously for long periods. Cells constructed of glass, epoxy and molybdenum endplates have been run in a 3 kV/cm field and give frequency stability comparable to simple glass cells. In principle, a sensitivity of 10-28 e-cm in one month of data-taking is possible. We describe the ongoing experiment including construction of the apparatus, high voltage cells, and maser oscillations with high voltage.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998APS..DMP..DP70R