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Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization
Published on: August 6, 2018
First Measurement of the Atomic Electric Dipole Moment of (225)Ra
R H Parker1,2, M R Dietrich1,3, M R Kalita1,4
1Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
Abstract:
The radioactive radium-225 ((225)Ra) atom is a favorable case to search for a permanent electric dipole moment. Because of its strong nuclear octupole deformation and large atomic mass, (225)Ra is particularly sensitive to interactions in the nuclear medium that violate both time-reversal symmetry and parity. We have developed a cold-atom technique to study the spin precession of (225)Ra atoms held in an optical dipole trap, and demonstrated the principle of this method by completing the first measurement of its atomic electric dipole moment, reaching an upper limit of |d((225)Ra)|<5.0×10(-22) e cm (95% confidence).
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