A novel approach to measure the electric dipole moment of 129 xenon

Permanent electric dipole moments (EDM) are promising systems to find new CP violation. The properties of the diamagnetic atom 129-Xe make it a particularly interesting candidate for an EDM search, as it enables new experimental strategies. Although the current experimental limit of dXe<4.0.10-27 ecm is many orders of magnitude higher than the Standard Model (SM) prediction, theories beyond the SM usually require larger EDMs. Our experiment is based on microscopic hyper-polarized liquid xenon droplets, placed in a low-field NMR setup. Implementation of rotating electric fields enables a conceptually new EDM measurement technique, allowing thorough investigation of systematic effects. Still, a Ramsey-type spin precession experiment with static electric field can be realized at similar sensitivity within the same setup. Employing superconducting pick-up coils and highly sensitive LTc-SQUIDs, a large array of independent measurements can be performed simultaneously with different field configurations. Detailed Monte-Carlo simulations were carried out confirming our sensitivity goals (<10-30 ecm) and also showing interesting other effects.