Radium ions and radium-bearing molecules for precision measurement

We work with radium ions for optical clocks and testing fundamental symmetries. We are developing a radium molecule experiment to set limits on time reversal symmetry violation (TRSV). This symmetry violation is at the crux of two open questions: why does the universe lack antimatter, and why is charge parity symmetry not violated in quantum chromodynamics. Searching for TRSV moments of particles and nuclei is a promising route to addressing these questions. Radium has an octupole deformed nucleus which enhances sensitivity to TRSV, which can be further boosted in a radium-bearing molecule. We'll discuss our advances towards a TRSV measurement, including a long-term source for the short-lived radium-225 (15 d half-life) that has provided radium ions on demand for a year. From an operational perspective there is now nothing extraordinary about working with radium ions.