Experimental search for electric dipole moments of light radioactive nuclei

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel experimental approach using a compact ion trap and the frozen-spin method to search for electric dipole moments in light radioactive nuclei, specifically $^8$Li, aiming to surpass current proton EDM limits.

Contribution

It introduces a new experimental technique for measuring EDMs in light radioactive ions, bypassing Schiff screening issues faced by heavy neutral atoms.

Findings

$^8$Li identified as promising candidate for EDM measurement

Potential to surpass current proton EDM limits within a week of measurement

Adaptation of the frozen-spin method for light radioactive ions

Abstract

We discuss a search for the electric dipole moment (EDM) of a light beta-radioactive ion using a compact ion trap by adapting the "frozen-spin" method. The measurement will be done on ions stripped of their valence electrons, thereby bypassing the significant Schiff screening that hinders the application of successful contemporary EDM searches using heavy neutral atoms and molecules to light nuclei. We identified $^8$Li as the most promising candidate for a proof-of-concept EDM search and we estimate that the current indirect proton EDM limit of a few $10^{-25} e\cdot$cm set by $^{199}$Hg measurements can be surpassed with a week of measurement time at existing facilities.