Radioactive Molecules as Laboratories of Fundamental Physics

Abstract

Radioactive molecules provide a powerful new platform in the search for new physics at energy scales complementary to high-energy particle colliders. By combining enhancements from nuclear properties with the sensitivity and control offered by molecular structure, experiments with radioactive molecules offer great reach in the search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. Rapid progress in this field is being driven by advances in the production and control of radioactive molecules, alongside the development of new experimental tools and theoretical techniques. In this Perspective, we discuss the current status and future prospects of this rapidly developing, interdisciplinary field at the intersection of nuclear physics, atomic and molecular physics, and particle physics.

Published in $\text{Nature Reviews Physics}$ (2026), see http://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-026-00950-9 . 28 pages, 5 figures

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