Ultracold mercury-alkali molecules for electron electric dipole moment searches

Understand

Heavy polar diatomic molecules are the leading candidates in searches for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron (eEDM).

• Next-generation eEDM search experiments ideally require extremely large coherence times, in large ensembles of trapped molecules that have a high sensitivity to the eEDM.
• We consider a family of molecules, mercury-alkali diatomics, that can be feasibly produced from ultracold atoms.
• We present calculations of the effective electric fields experienced by the electron in these molecules.