Opportunities for Fundamental Physics Research with Radioactive Molecules

TL;DR

Radioactive molecules offer unique opportunities for fundamental physics research, leveraging recent advances in molecular control and radioactive species production to explore symmetries, astrophysics, nuclear structure, and chemistry.

Contribution

This paper reviews the scientific potential, recent advances, and future prospects of studying radioactive molecules for fundamental physics research.

Findings

Radioactive molecules can probe fundamental symmetries and nuclear properties.

Recent technological advances enable creation and control of radioactive molecules.

Facilities worldwide are developing capabilities to produce radioactive species.

Abstract

Molecules containing short-lived, radioactive nuclei are uniquely positioned to enable a wide range of scientific discoveries in the areas of fundamental symmetries, astrophysics, nuclear structure, and chemistry. Recent advances in the ability to create, cool, and control complex molecules down to the quantum level, along with recent and upcoming advances in radioactive species production at several facilities around the world, create a compelling opportunity to coordinate and combine these efforts to bring precision measurement and control to molecules containing extreme nuclei. In this manuscript, we review the scientific case for studying radioactive molecules, discuss recent atomic, molecular, nuclear, astrophysical, and chemical advances which provide the foundation for their study, describe the facilities where these species are and will be produced, and provide an outlook for the future of this nascent field.