A new experiment to test parity symmetry in cold chiral molecules using vibrational spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper reviews progress in measuring parity violation in heavy-metal chiral molecules using vibrational spectroscopy, focusing on experimental developments like cold molecule sources and laser stabilization.

Contribution

It introduces new experimental techniques and progress in detecting parity violation in chiral molecules with vibrational spectroscopy.

Findings

Development of buffer-gas sources for cold molecules

Laser frequency stabilization using primary standards

Investigation of achiral and chiral derivatives

Abstract

We present a brief review of our progress towards measuring parity violation in heavy-metal chiral complexes using mid-infrared Ramsey interferometry. We discuss our progress addressing the main challenges, including the development of buffer-gas sources of slow, cold polyatomic molecules, and the frequency-stabilisation of quantum cascade lasers calibrated using primary frequency standards. We report investigations on achiral test species of which promising chiral derivatives have been synthesized.