Search for the atomic EDM of ¹⁷¹Yb in an optical dipole trap

We present a search for the atomic electric dipole moment (EDM) of ¹⁷¹Yb, a stable isotope with the ground state property of L = 0, S = 0, and I = 1/2. ¹⁷¹Yb atoms are captured by a two-stage MOT, transported using a movable optical dipole trap over 65 cm into a science chamber, and transferred to a static optical dipole trap. There, the atoms are allowed to precess under a uniform B field of 20 mG and a strong, reversible E field of 100 kV/cm. The precession frequencies measured under opposite E fields are used to search for the EDM. The preliminary result shows a sensitivity of E-26 e-cm in searching for ¹⁷¹Yb EDM. We describe the progress, challenges, and prospects of the experiment. Through this experiment, we develop atom manipulation techniques and study systematics for a parallel search for the EDM of ²²⁵Ra, a radioactive isotope expected to possess a much larger Schiff moment due to its nuclear octupole deformation.