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We propose an experimental search for an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment (OEDM) for electrons using state-of-the-art alkali vapor-cell atomic magnetometers. The axion is a hypothesized new fundamental particle which can resolve the strong charge-parity problem and be a prominent dark matter candidate. This experiment utilizes an atomic magnetometer as both a source of optically polarized electron spins and a magnetic-field sensor. The interaction of the axion field, oscillating at a frequency equal to the axion mass, with an electron spin induces a sizable OEDM of the electron at the same frequency as the axion field. When the alkali vapor is subjected to an electric field and a magnetic field, the electron OEDM interacts with the electric field, resulting in an electron spin precession at the spins Larmor frequency in the magnetic field. The resulting precession signal can be sensitively detected with a probe laser beam of the atomic magnetometer. We estimate that the experiment is sensitive to the axion-photon interaction in ultralight axion masses from $10^{-15}$ to $10^{-10}$~eV. It is able to improve the current experimental limit up to 5 orders of magnitude, exploring new axion parameter spaces.
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In the recent work arXiv:1809.02446, the authors proposed a new method measuring the electron oscillating electric dipole moment (eOEDM) using atomic magnetomaters. This eOEDM is induced by the interaction between the electron magnetic dipole moment, electric field and axion field. The result is sensitive to the axion-photon coupling according to [Hill, PRD 91, 111702 (2015)]. Here we want to describe that the same experimental method can be also sensitive to the axion-electron coupling according to [Alexander and Sims, PRD 98, 015011 (2018)]. In this article, we will show the corresponding sensitivity plot and compare with other constraints.
An array of sixteen laser-pumped scalar Cs magnetometers was part of the neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) experiment taking data at the Paul Scherrer Institute in 2015 and 2016. It was deployed to measure the gradients of the experiments magnetic field and to monitor their temporal evolution. The originality of the array lies in its compact design, in which a single near-infrared diode laser drives all magnetometers that are located in a high-vacuum chamber, with a selection of the sensors mounted on a high-voltage electrode. We describe details of the Cs sensors construction and modes of operation, emphasizing the accuracy and sensitivity of the magnetic field readout. We present two applications of the magnetometer array directly beneficial to the nEDM experiment: (i) the implementation of a strategy to correct for the drift of the vertical magnetic field gradient and (ii) a procedure to homogenize the magnetic field. The first reduces the uncertainty of the new nEDM result. The second enables transverse neutron spin relaxation times exceeding 1500 s, improving the statistical sensitivity of the nEDM experiment by about 35% and effectively increasing the rate of nEDM data taking by a factor of 1.8.
According to the Schiff theorem nuclear electric dipole moment (EDM) is completely shielded in a neutral atom by electrons. This makes a static nuclear electric dipole moment (EDM) unobservable. Interaction with the axion dark matter field generates nuclear EDM $d=d_0 cos (omega t)$ oscillating with the frequency $omega= m_a c^2/hbar$ . This EDM generates atomic EDM proportional to $omega^2$. This effect is strongly enhanced in molecules since nuclei move slowly and do not produce as efficient screening of oscillating nuclear EDM as electrons do. An additional strong enhancement comes due to a small energy interval between rotational molecular levels. Finally, if the nuclear EDM oscillation frequency is in resonance with a molecular transition, there may be a significant resonance enhancement.
We demonstrate one-dimensional sub-Doppler laser cooling of a beam of YbF molecules to 100 $mu$K. This is a key step towards a measurement of the electrons electric dipole moment using ultracold molecules. We compare the effectiveness of magnetically-assisted and polarization-gradient sub-Doppler cooling mechanisms. We model the experiment and find good agreement with our data.
We investigate a search for the oscillating current induced by axion dark matter in an external magnetic field using optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). This experiment is based upon the LC circuit axion detection concept of Sikivie, Sullivan, and Tanner. The modification of Maxwells equations caused by the axion-photon coupling results in a minute oscillating magnetic field at the frequency equal to the axion mass in the presence of magnetic field. This induced magnetic field could be searched for using an LC circuit amplifier with an OPM, the most sensitive cryogen-free magnetic-field sensor, in a room temperature experiment, avoiding the need for a complicated and expensive cryogenic system. We discuss how an existing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiment can be modified to search for axions in a previously unexplored part of the parameter space. Our existing detection setup, optimized for MRI, is already sensitive to an axion-photon coupling of $10^{-7}$ GeV$^{-1}$ for an axion mass near $3times10^{-10}$ eV. While this is ruled out by limits from astrophysics and solar axion searches, we show that realistic modifications, and optimization of the experiment for axion detection, can set a new limit on the axion-photon coupling up to three orders of magnitude beyond the current best limit, for axion masses between $10^{-11}$ eV and $10^{-7}$ eV.ion masses between $10^{-11}$ eV and $10^{-7}$ eV.
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