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Community input to the European Strategy on particle physics: Searches for Permanent Electric Dipole Moments

M. Athanasakis-Kaklamanakis, M. Au, R. Berger, S. Degenkolb, J. De Vries, S. Hoekstra, A. Keshavarzi, N. Neri, D. Ries, P. Schmidt-Wellenburg, M. Tarbutt

TL;DR

The paper argues that searches for permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs) of fundamental particles and systems with spin offer a powerful, low-energy avenue to probe CP violation beyond the Standard Model, complementary to high-energy colliders. It outlines the theoretical framework connecting EDMs to CP-violating sources via SM EFT, lattice QCD, and chiral EFT, and surveys the European EDM landscape alongside global efforts across neutron, electron, nuclear, and charged-particle EDM experiments, including storage-ring approaches. It highlights challenges for smaller-scale precision experiments—funding, recruitment, and cross-disciplinary collaboration—and emphasizes the need for sustained national-lab and university support, education, and outreach, as well as coordinated facility access and computing. The work underscores EDMs as sensitive probes of new physics at mass scales of $10$--$100$ TeV, with significant implications for baryogenesis and beyond-Standard-Model theories, thus informing European strategy and investment in precision science and technology.

Abstract

Searches for electric dipole moments (EDMs) in fundamental particles and quantum systems with spin are pivotal experiments at the intersection of low-energy and high-precision particle physics. These investigations offer a complementary pathway to uncovering new physics beyond the Standard Model, parallel to high-energy collider searches. EDM experiments are among the most sensitive probes for detecting non-standard time-reversal (T) symmetry violations and, via the CPT theorem, CP-violation (CPV). Current EDM measurements test new physics at mass scales in or above the 10TeV to 100TeV range. This community input to the European Particle Physics Strategy Update highlights the status of the field, and describes challenges and opportunities in Europe.

Community input to the European Strategy on particle physics: Searches for Permanent Electric Dipole Moments

TL;DR

The paper argues that searches for permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs) of fundamental particles and systems with spin offer a powerful, low-energy avenue to probe CP violation beyond the Standard Model, complementary to high-energy colliders. It outlines the theoretical framework connecting EDMs to CP-violating sources via SM EFT, lattice QCD, and chiral EFT, and surveys the European EDM landscape alongside global efforts across neutron, electron, nuclear, and charged-particle EDM experiments, including storage-ring approaches. It highlights challenges for smaller-scale precision experiments—funding, recruitment, and cross-disciplinary collaboration—and emphasizes the need for sustained national-lab and university support, education, and outreach, as well as coordinated facility access and computing. The work underscores EDMs as sensitive probes of new physics at mass scales of -- TeV, with significant implications for baryogenesis and beyond-Standard-Model theories, thus informing European strategy and investment in precision science and technology.

Abstract

Searches for electric dipole moments (EDMs) in fundamental particles and quantum systems with spin are pivotal experiments at the intersection of low-energy and high-precision particle physics. These investigations offer a complementary pathway to uncovering new physics beyond the Standard Model, parallel to high-energy collider searches. EDM experiments are among the most sensitive probes for detecting non-standard time-reversal (T) symmetry violations and, via the CPT theorem, CP-violation (CPV). Current EDM measurements test new physics at mass scales in or above the 10TeV to 100TeV range. This community input to the European Particle Physics Strategy Update highlights the status of the field, and describes challenges and opportunities in Europe.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 12 sections, 1 figure, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Probing beyond Standard Model physics by searching for permanent electric dipole moments
  2. Theory of EDM and complementarity to high energy physics
  3. The European EDM landscape and the global context
  4. Searches for the neutron EDM
  5. Searches for the electron EDM and CP violation in open-shell atoms, molecules
  6. Searches for nuclear CP violation
  7. Collider and storage ring searches for EDMs of charged particles
  8. Challenges and opportunities of smaller scale precision experiments
  9. National laboratories and university labs
  10. Education and outreach
  11. Facilities
  12. Role of searches for EDM in the European strategy for particle physics

Figures (1)

  • Figure 1: Progress of EDM measurement sensitivity over time, shown as a compilation of EDM limits measured in a selection of systems Jayich_github. (a) Electron EDM limits from several systems, assuming the electron EDM as the only source of CP violation. (b) Closed shell EDM limits assuming no specific source of CP violation. (c) EDM limits of the muon and the tau, from direct measurements Ben09Belle2022.