Sensitive pulsed pump-probe atomic polarimetry for parity-violation measurements in caesium

Abstract

We describe an ongoing experiment to measure parity violation in atomic caesium, based on detection by stimulated emission. Our goal is to measure to 1 a left-right asymmetry of to test electroweak theory and look for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The Cs highly forbidden transition, , is excited in a vapour (5-10 mtorr) by a pump laser pulse in a longitudinal electric field . The PV asymmetry resulting from the weak interaction during optical excitation is converted into an anisotropy in the gain of a probe laser pulse which stimulates the allowed transition , and manifests itself as a tiny -odd rotation of the probe's linear polarization. Differential polarimetry allows dark-field detection of the rotation angle with a baseline defined to better than and discrimination between true and pseudo-rotation. Lineshape-independent angle calibration is performed using a parity-conserving -even anisotropy. To isolate the parity-violating effect, we exploit the symmetry of revolution of the experiment by (i) rotating pump and probe linear polarizations around the beam axis and (ii) reversing in a cylindrically symmetric cell. After describing the apparatus and data acquisition procedure, we summarize the current experimental status and short-term prospects.