Measurement of Linear Stark Interference in {sup 199}Hg

Journal Article · Fri Jun 24 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.106.253002· OSTI ID:21567484

Loftus, T H; Swallows, M D; Griffith, W C; Romalis, M V; Heckel, B R; Fortson, E N ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Box 351560, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1560 (United States)

We present measurements of Stark interference in the 6{sup 1}S{sub 0}{yields}6{sup 3}P{sub 1} transition in {sup 199}Hg, a process whereby a static electric field E mixes magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole couplings into an electric dipole transition, leading to E-linear energy shifts similar to those produced by a permanent atomic electric dipole moment (EDM). The measured interference amplitude, a{sub SI}=(a{sub M1}+a{sub E2})=(5.8{+-}1.5)x10{sup -9} (kV/cm){sup -1}, agrees with relativistic, many-body predictions and confirms that earlier central-field estimates are a factor of 10 too large. More importantly, this study validates the capability of the {sup 199}Hg EDM search apparatus to resolve nontrivial, controlled, and sub-nHz Larmor frequency shifts with EDM-like characteristics.

• OSTI ID: 21567484
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 25 Vol. 106; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
AMPLITUDES
COUPLINGS
DIPOLE MOMENTS
DIPOLES
E1-TRANSITIONS
ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC MOMENTS
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERFERENCE
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAGNETIC DIPOLES
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
MERCURY 199
MERCURY ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MULTIPOLE TRANSITIONS
MULTIPOLES
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
STABLE ISOTOPES