# Physics of fundamental Symmetries and Interactions - PSI2019

Oct 20 – 25, 2019
PSI
Europe/Zurich timezone

## Search for a permanent electric dipole moment on the electron (eEDM) using BaF molecules

Oct 22, 2019, 5:14 PM
1m
WHGA/001 - Auditorium (PSI)

Poster

### Speaker

Mr Thomas B. Meijknecht (Van Swinderen Institute, University of Groningen and Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics)

### Description

As the NL-eEDM collaboration, we are searching for a permanent electric dipole moment on the electron (eEDM) in a BaF molecular beam. In preperation of such an experiment we have performed spectroscopic measurements in a supersonic BaF beam. The lifetimes of the $A^{2}Π_{1/2}$ and $A^{2}Π_{3/2}$ states were obtained using short light pulses generated from a CW laser beam with a pulsed acousto-optic modulator. An eEDM search in BaF puts stringent requirements on the fields in an interaction zone. Those include an electric field of O(10 kV/cm) and a magnetic field of O(10 nT), both with small field gradients i.e. less than 1% inhomogeneity. We are currently building the interaction zone to work with the intense supersonic BaF beam. Ultimately the sensitivity can be improved with a substantially decelerated and laser-cooled BaF molecular beam. In our experiment we aim at an eEDM sensitivity down to $5 \times 10^{-30} \, e \, cm$.

### Primary author

Mr Thomas B. Meijknecht (Van Swinderen Institute, University of Groningen and Nikhef, National Institute for Subatomic Physics)

### Co-authors

Klaus Jungmann (University of Groningen) Lorenz Willmann (Van Swinderen Institute, Groningen University) Prof. Rob G.E. Timmermans Prof. Steven Hoekstra Prof. Wim Ubachs