Magnetometry at the fTesla-scale for neutron EDM experiments

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Werner Heil
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Optik, Quantenoptik und Physik der Atome, Moleküle und Plasmen ; Kern- und Elementarteilchenphysik, Quantenmechanik, Relativitätstheorie, Felder
• Förderung: Förderung von 2013 bis 2016
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 237163913

Novel neutron EDM experiments, like the international neutron EDM collaboration at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) or the nEDM collaboration at FRM-II aim to reach a measurement sensitivity of ≈10-28 e∙cm, a two orders of magnitude improvement compared to the present upper limit of dn< 3x10-26 e∙cm for the neutron EDM. In order to reach this ambitious goal, magnetometry reaching the fTesla sensitivity level during a typical Ramsey cycle of 200 s is demanded. In this proposal we concentrate on the commissioning and operation of an existing 3He magnetometer which is based on the detection of free spin-precession of gaseous, nuclear polarized 3He samples and which should be able to monitor magnetic field fluctuations at the fT-level and to correct geometric phase induced false nEDM effects. These false effects set the present systematic limit of dn, false ≈10-26 ecm and result from the interplay of the relativistic xE-field with existing magnetic field gradients causing a frequency shift linear to the electric field mimicking an nEDM.

• DFG-Verfahren: Schwerpunktprogramme
• Teilprojekt zu: SPP 1491: Precision experiments in particle- and astrophysics with cold and ultracold neutrons