Continuous coherent spin-frequency metrology in storage rings via resonant beam-driven detection
Precision measurements in storage rings are increasingly limited by the ability to monitor collective spin dynamics coherently over long time scales. Existing polarimetry techniques rely on destructive scattering processes that preclude continuous, non-intercepting tracking of spin evolution and constrain both statistical sensitivity and systematic control. Here we introduce a non-destructive, phase-coherent polarimetry method in which the stored beam polarization is treated as a continuous dynamical observable rather than a quantity inferred from scattering events. Spin-dependent electromagnetic fields generated by a polarized relativistic beam establish a symmetry-selected differential signal on pickup electrodes. This signal is transduced into a narrowband phase modulation of a high-Q resonator interrogated with a coherent probe, while dominant charge-induced backgrounds are rejected through geometric symmetry, helicity reversal, and synchronous demodulation. Controlled spin precession (spin-wheel operation) provides a stable phase reference enabling phase-coherent detection of slow spin evolution. Combined with optimized lattice symmetry and beam cooling, this approach can substantially extend the usable spin coherence time, with values approaching 10^5 s appearing realistic within existing accelerator technology. The resulting readout supports optimal slope-based estimation with T^{-3/2} statistical scaling while eliminating the efficiency penalties inherent to scattering-based polarimetry. For storage-ring EDM experiments, this combination enables sensitivity approaching the level expected within the Standard Model. More broadly, the method establishes a general phase-coherent architecture for collective spin measurements in storage rings, adapting resonant sensing concepts from axion dark-matter searches to charged-particle precision experiments.