The atomic electric dipole moment induced by the nuclear electric dipole moment; the magnetic moment effect

Abstract

We have considered a mechanism for inducing a time-reversal violating electric dipole moment (EDM) in atoms through the interaction of a nuclear EDM (d_N) with the hyperfine interaction, the "magnetic moment effect". We have derived the operator for this interaction and presented analytical formulas for the matrix elements between atomic states. Induced EDMs in the diamagnetic atoms 129Xe, 171Yb, 199Hg, 211Rn, and 225Ra have been calculated numerically. From the experimental limits on the atomic EDMs of 129Xe and 199Hg, we have placed the following constraints on the nuclear EDMs, |d_N(129Xe)|< 1.1 * 10^{-21} |e|cm and |d_N(199Hg)|< 2.8 * 10^{-24} |e|cm.