TlF in CeNTREX*

The Cold Molecule Nuclear Time-Reversal EXperiment (CeNTREX) aims to investigate time-reversal (T) symmetry violation in the hadronic sector. Assuming CPT symmetry, any T violation implies a corresponding violation of charge-conjugation-parity (CP) symmetry, which is a crucial ingredient in understanding the matter-antimatter asymmetry observed in the universe. One possible manifestation of T violation is a nuclear Schiff moment in ²⁰⁵Tl, whose energy shift is significantly amplified in the polar molecule ²⁰⁵TlF compared to atoms. CeNTREX employs a cryogenic beam of ²⁰⁵TlF molecules. To maximize sensitivity, the molecules are optically pumped into a single hyperfine level (F=0) of the rotational ground state (J=0). Through adiabatic passage, the population is transferred to the weak-field–seeking J=2 state, allowing focusing with an electrostatic quadrupole lens to collimate the expanding molecular beam. A non-zero Schiff moment induces a phase shift in the presence of an external electric field. This phase shift is mapped onto two rotational manifolds (J=1 and J=2) and read out simultaneously by rapidly switching between two fluorescence-inducing lasers. This talk will present progress on the experiment, with a particular focus on electrostatic focusing and detection.