Project Details
Projekt
Magnetometry at the fTesla-scale for neutron EDM experiments using a co-habiting Xenon magnetometer based on free spin precession
Applicant
Professor Dr. Werner Heil
Subject Area
Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
Term
from 2010 to 2013
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 167716548
Novel neutron EDM experiments, like the international neutron EDM collaboration at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) aim to reach a measurement sensitivity of ≈ 10-28 ecm, a two orders of magnitude improvement compared to the present upper limit of dn < 3 x 10-26 e∙cm for the neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM). In order to reach this ambitious goal, magnetometry reaching the 1 fT sensitivity level during a typical Ramsey cycle of 200s is demanded. In this proposal we concentrate on the development of a Xenon magnetometer which should be able to monitor and correct geometric phase induced false nEDM effects. These false effects, which set the present systematic limit of dn, false ≈ 10-26ecm, result from the interaction of the well known vxE-field with magnetic field gradients and produce a frequency shift linear to the electric field mimicking an nEDM. This frequency shift can be measured using the Ramsey method of separated oscillatory fields. Spin-polarized Xenon is produced by optical pumping and the free precession of nuclear spins (co-habiting atomic Xenon magnetometer) is monitored within the ultracold neutron (UCN) storage volume of the nEDM spectrometer.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
