AUTHOR=Ho C. J. , Lim J. , Sauer B. E. , Tarbutt M. R. TITLE=Measuring the nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment in heavy polar molecules JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physics VOLUME=11 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physics/articles/10.3389/fphy.2023.1086980 DOI=10.3389/fphy.2023.1086980 ISSN=2296-424X ABSTRACT=

Theories that extend the Standard Model of particle physics often introduce new interactions that violate charge-parity (CP) symmetry. Charge-parity-violating effects within an atomic nucleus can be probed by measuring its nuclear magnetic quadrupole moment (MQM). The sensitivity of such a measurement is enhanced when using a heavy polar molecule containing a nucleus with quadrupole deformation. We determine how the energy levels of a molecule are shifted by the magnetic quadrupole moment and how those shifts can be measured. The measurement scheme requires molecules in a superposition of magnetic sub-levels that differ by many units of angular momentum. We develop a generic scheme for preparing these states. Finally, we consider the sensitivity that can be reached, showing that this method can reduce the current uncertainties on several charge-parity-violating parameters.