New Limit on the Permanent Electric Dipole Moment of 129Xe Using 3He Comagnetometry and SQUID Detection

We report results of a new technique to measure the electric dipole moment of Xe-129 with He-3 comagnetometry. Both species are polarized using spin-exchange optical pumping, transferred to a measurement cell, and transported into a magnetically shielded room, where SQUID magnetometers detect free precession in applied electric and magnetic fields. The result from a one week measurement campaign in 2017 and a 2.5 week campaign in 2018, combined with detailed study of systematic effects, is d(A)(Xe-129) = (1.4 +/- 6.6(stat) +/- 2.0(syst)) x 10(-28) e cm. This corresponds to an upper limit of vertical bar d(A) (Xe-129) vertical bar < 1.4 x 10(-27) e cm (95% C.L.), a factor of 5 more sensitive than the limit set in 2001.