Proposal for a sensitive search for electric dipole moment of electron with matrix-isolated radicals

Abstract

We propose using matrix-isolated paramagnetic diatomic molecules to search for the electric dipole moment of electron (eEDM). As was suggested by Shapiro in 1968, the eEDM leads to a magnetization of a sample in the external electric field. In a typical condensed matter experiment, the effective field on the unpaired electron is of the same order of magnitude as the laboratory field, typically about $10^{5}$V/cm. We exploit the fact that the effective electric field inside heavy polar molecules is in the order of $10^{10}$V/cm. This leads to a huge enhancement of the Shapiro effect. Statistical sensitivity of the proposed experiment may allow one to improve the current limit on eEDM by three orders of magnitude in few hours accumulation time.