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Title: Breakdown of Angular Momentum Selection Rules in High Pressure Optical Pumping Experiments

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)
  2. Juelich Centre for Neutron Science, Garching 85747 (Germany)

We present measurements, by using two complementary methods, of the breakdown of atomic angular momentum selection rules in He-broadened Rb vapor. Atomic dark states are rendered weakly absorbing due to fine-structure mixing during Rb-He collisions. The effect substantially increases the photon demand for optical pumping of dense vapors.

OSTI ID:
21470974
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.083003; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English