Progress towards a new parity non-conservation measurement in cesium-133

Atomic parity violation measurements provide a way to probe physics beyond the Standard Model. They can provide constraints on conjectures of a massive Z′ bosonor a light boson, or searches of dark energy. Using the two-pathway coherent control technique, our group plans to make a new measurement of the weak interaction induced parity non-conservation (PNC) transition moment (E_PNC) on the cesium 6S→7S transition. We will coherently interfere a 2-photon transition with the Stark and PNC transitions to amplify and extract the PNC amplitude. Previously, our lab has measured the magnetic dipole transition moment on the same 6S→7S transition to about 0.4% uncertainty using this technique. In this dissertation, I discuss improvements made to the system, and review what future upgrades are needed for a new E_PNC measurement. Key systematics are also described. For an accurate determination of E_PNC, properties of cesium such as the scalar (α) and vector (β) transition polarizabilities are needed. I present improved determinations of keyelectric dipole matrix elements, and calculate new high precision determinations of α and β. Finally, using β and the previously measured value of E_PNC/β, I calculate new values for the weak charge of the cesium nucleus Q_w.