Atomic CP-violating polarizability

Searches for CP-violating effects in atoms and molecules provide important constrains on competing extensions to the standard model of elementary particles. In particular, CP violation in an atom leads to the CP-odd (T,P-odd) polarizability {beta}{sup CP}: a magnetic moment {mu}{sup CP} is induced by an electric field E{sub 0} applied to an atom, {mu}{sup CP}={beta}{sup CP}E{sub 0}. We estimate the CP-violating polarizability for rare-gas (diamagnetic) atoms He through Rn. We relate {beta}{sup CP} to the permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron and to the scalar constant of the CP-odd electron-nucleus interaction. The analysis is carried out using the third-order perturbation theory and the Dirac-Hartree-Fock formalism. We find that, as a function of nuclear charge Z, {beta}{sup CP} scales steeply as Z{sup 5}R(Z), where slowly varying R(Z) is a relativistic enhancement factor. Finally, we evaluate the feasibility of setting a limit on electron EDM by measuring CP-violating magnetization of liquid Xe. We find that such an experiment could provide competitive bounds on electron EDM only if the present level of experimental sensitivity to ultraweak magnetic fields [Kominis et al., Nature 422, 596 (2003)] is improved by several orders of magnitude.