Set-up for searching a neutron EDM by the crystal-diffraction method: first measurements

The first experimental study of the new effects predicted early was conduct ed, using the recently created set-up designed for searching a neutron EDM by the crystal-diffraction technique. The effect of a considerable delay of the diffracting neutron in the crystal for Bragg angles close to 90 degree s and the effect of a depolarization of diffracting neutrons in the crystal without a centre of symmetry were first observed. The existence of the dyn amical diffraction in a thick (14 x 14 x 3.5 cm(3)) noncentrosymmetric cl-q uartz crystal for Bragg angles up to 87 degrees was demonstrated. It is exp erimentally shown that the value Et, where E is an electric field and tau i s the interaction time, determined the sensitivity of the method to neutron EDM in our case can be similar to 0.2 x 10(6) V s/cm, what is comparable w ith the Ultracold neutrons (UCN) method, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.