Application of the finite-field coupled-cluster method to calculate molecular properties relevant to electron electric-dipole-moment searches

Abstract

Heavy polar diatomic molecules are currently among the most promising probes of fundamental physics. Constraining the electric dipole moment of the electron (eEDM), in order to explore physics beyond the standard model, requires a synergy of molecular experiment and theory. Recent advances in experiment in this field have motivated us to implement a finite-field coupled-cluster (FFCC) approach. This work has distinct advantages over the theoretical methods that we had used earlier in the analysis of eEDM searches. We used relativistic FFCC to calculate molecular properties of interes to eEDM experiments, that is, the effective electric field (Eeff) and the permanent electric dipole moment (PDM). We theoretically determine these quantities for the alkaline-earth monofluorides (AEMs), the mercury monohalides (HgX), and PbF. The latter two systems, as well as BaF from the AEMs, are of interest to eEDM searches. We also report the calculation of the properties using a relativistic finite-field coupled-cluster approach with single, double, and partial triples’ excitations, which is considered to be the gold standard of electronic structure calculations. We also present a detailed error estimate, including errors that stem from our choice of basis sets, and higher-order correlation effects.