Spectroscopic Characterization of Thorium Monoxide for use in an Electron Electric Dipole Momement Measurement

ORAL

Abstract

The ACME Collaboration is searching for the electron electric dipole moment (eEDM) in the metastable H $^3\Delta_1$ state of thorium monoxide (ThO) using a cryogenic molecular beam.\footnote{A.C.~Vutha \textit{et al.}, Phys. B 43, 074007 (2010)} The primary molecular beam source has been fully characterized and optimized.\footnote{N.R.~Hutzler \textit{et al.}, arXiv:1101.4217 (2011)} We report on advances in characterizing the spectroscopic properties of the ThO molecule. Transitions necessary for H state preparation and detection have been observed for the the first time, and the saturation parameters for these transitions have been measured. The electric polarizability of the H state and its small g-factor have been measured. The lifetime of a key excited state has been measured. We also report on preliminary results on state preparation and readout of coherent precession phases.

*Research Grant: National Science Foundation. Support for speaker: Deparment of Energy: Office of Science

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Authors

  • Paul Hess

    • Harvard University

  • Yulia Gurevich

    • Harvard University

  • Nick Hutzler

    • Harvard University

  • Elizabeth Petrik

    • Harvard University

  • Benjamin Spaun

    • Harvard University

  • John Doyle

    • Harvard University

  • Gerald Gabrielse

    • Harvard University
    • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

  • Emil Kirilov

    • Yale University

  • Amar Vutha

    • Yale University

  • David DeMille

    • Yale University