Electron EDM searches based on alkali or alkaline earth bearing molecules

TL;DR

This paper proposes four new ultracold molecules involving ytterbium and alkali or alkaline earth elements, which could enhance electron EDM searches due to their favorable properties and potential for low-temperature preparation.

Contribution

It introduces four novel molecules suitable for electron EDM experiments and evaluates their properties and effectiveness in measuring the EDM.

Findings

YbRb, YbCs, YbSr$^+$, and YbBa$^+$ can be prepared at ultracold temperatures.

These molecules potentially provide strong effective electric fields for EDM measurements.

They may offer advantages over traditional molecular beam experiments.

Abstract

We introduce four new molecules -- YbRb, YbCs, YbSr$^+$, and YbBa$^+$ -- that may prove fruitful in experimental searches for the electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron. These molecules can, in principle, be prepared at extremely low temperatures by photoassociating ultracold atoms, and therefore may present an advantage over molecular beam experiments. Here we discuss properties of these molecules and assess the effective electric fields they contribute to an electron EDM measurement.