Relativistic Theory of the Electric Dipole Moment of an Atom due to the Electric Dipole Moment of an Electron

TL;DR

This paper develops a relativistic coupled-cluster theoretical framework to accurately calculate the electric dipole moment of paramagnetic atoms caused by the electron's EDM, aiding tests of fundamental physics models.

Contribution

It introduces a novel relativistic coupled-cluster approach that includes residual Coulomb interactions and weak parity-violating effects for precise EDM calculations.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of correlation effects in atomic EDMs

Quantitative predictions for Fr atom's EDM contribution

Potential to test the Standard Model of particle physics

Abstract

The relativistic theory for the electric dipole moment (EDM) of paramagnetic atoms arising from the electric dipole moment of the electron is presented. A novel approach using the relativistic coupled-cluster method that incorporates the residual Coulomb interaction to all orders and a weak parity and time-reversal violating interaction to one order has been employed in Fr to obtain the enhancement of the EDM of that atom compared to the EDM of the electron. Trends of the different correlation effects and leading contributions from different physical states are discussed. Our result in combination with that of the Fr EDM that is currently in progress, has the potential to probe the validity of the Standard Model (SM) of elementary particle physics.