Improved sensitivity in the search for a parity-violating energy difference in the vibrational spectrum of the enantiomers of CHFClBr

Abstract:

The theoretical prediction that enantiomers of chiral molecules have different spectra because of parity violation associated with neutral currents in the weak interaction has been experimentally looked for. Last searches of a frequency difference in the vibrational spectrum of the enantiomers of CHFClBr obtained with our infrared saturation spectrometer is presented. The frequencies of a saturation resonance of separated enantiomers of CHFClBr have been compared at a 5×10^-14 level. A residual pressure shift probably induced by uncontrolled impurities of the samples has been observed and found to limit our experimental sensitivity. Finally no parity violating frequency difference is observed within the present sensitivity of 2.5×10^-13. A new experimental scheme is proposed which should let the parity violation effect observable.