Search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with NEMO 3 and SuperNEMO

Abstract

Since 2003 the NEMO~3 experiment has been searching for neutrinoless double beta decay using about 10 kg of enriched isotopes. A limit of T_(1/2)(0nu) > 5.8 10**23 years at 90 % CL has been obtained for 100-Mo from the first two years of data. Several measurements of two-neutrino double beta decays have also been performed. A first NEMO 3 measurement of the half-life of 130-Te is presented, giving a value of T_(1/2)(2nu) = (7.6 +- 1.5 (stat) +- 0.8 (syst)) 10**20 years. In parallel, there is an active R&D programme for the SuperNEMO experiment which is expected to commence data taking in 2012-2013 with 100-200 kg of enriched isotopes.