Experimental Apparatus
Ultra-cold neutrons (UCN) are produced by polarized cold neutron scattering
in superfluid He. The polarized neutrons then precess about a small magnetic
field as a large applied electric field is reversed. The neutron precession
frequency is measured via capture on a small amount of polarized
3He added to the superfluid 4He. This neutron capture yields a time-dependent
signal of scintillation light in the 4He that is measured with photomultiplier
tubes. The time-dependence results from the difference in neutron capture
probability for neutron spins aligned with the 3He spins compared to anti-aligned and
the slightly different precession frequencies of the neutrons and 3He
due to their different magnetic moments. Precision measurement of the precession
frequency for the two orientations of the electric field yields
the neutron EDM.
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