Yb Atoms*

The permanent electric dipole moments (EDMs) originatesoriginate from the sources of CP-violation. We present an experimental search for the EDM of the ¹⁷¹Yb (I=1/2) atom with atoms held in an optical dipole trap (ODT), and a coherent spin precession time of up to hundreds of seconds. By enabling a cycling transition that is simultaneously spin-selective and spin-preserving, a quantum non-demolition measurement allows spin detection near the shot-noise limit. A systematic effect due to parity mixing induced by a static E field is observed and is suppressed by averaging between measurements with ODTs in opposite directions. Our result places a limit of |d_Yb-171|< 1.5x10^-26 e cm (95% C.L.). We describe and discuss several experimental upgrades, such as enhanced electric field strength, and suppressed magnetic field noise. Together, these upgrades are projected to increase the statistical sensitivity of the experiment by one order of magnitude.