Optical Rotation Approach to Search for the Electric Dipole Moment of the Electron

• Main Authors: Dmitry V. Chubukov, Leonid V. Skripnikov, Vasily N. Kutuzov, Sergey D. Chekhovskoi, Leonti N. Labzowsky
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-06-01
• Series: Atoms
• Subjects: optical rotation; electric dipole moment; P,T-odd Faraday effect
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2218-2004/7/2/56

The <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">P</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>,<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">T</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>-odd Faraday effect (i.e., rotation of the polarization plane of light propagating through a medium in presence of the external electric field due to <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">P</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">T</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula> symmetry violating interactions) is considered for several atomic species: Ra, Pb, Tl, Hg, Cs, and Xe. Corresponding theoretical simulation of <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">P</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>,<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">T</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>-odd Faraday experiment, with already achieved intracavity absorption spectroscopy characteristics and parameters, is performed. The results show that the magnetic dipole transitions in the Tl and Pb atoms as well as the electric dipole transitions in the Ra, Hg and Cs atoms are favorable for the observation of the <inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">P</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>,<inline-formula> <math display="inline"> <semantics> <mi mathvariant="script">T</mi> </semantics> </math> </inline-formula>-odd Faraday optical rotation. The estimation of the rotation angle of the light polarization plane demonstrates that recently existing boundaries for the electron electric dipole moment can be improved by one-two orders of magnitude.