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Title: Production of highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium by spin-exchange optical pumping

Abstract

We have produced highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen by spin-exchange optical pumping. A tunable ring dye laser is used to polarize rubidium atoms by optical pumping. The cell containing the rubidium vapor is coated with paraffin in order to reduce spin relaxation due to wall collisions. Hydrogen gas is dissociated in an inductive discharge and flows continuously through the cell, in which the hydrogen atoms are polarized by spin-exchange collisions with the polarized rubidium atoms. Atomic-hydrogen polarization as high as 2{l angle}{ital J}{sub {ital z}}{r angle}{sub H}=0.72(6) has been observed, which is the highest polarization yet produced by this method. However, the rubidium polarization may be limited to this value due to radiation trapping at higher rubidium densities. The spin-relaxation rate of atomic hydrogen on a paraffin-coated cell is also measured and corresponds to about 7600 wall bounces between wall relaxation.

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (USA)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6513907
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 42:3; Journal ID: ISSN 0556-2791
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; DEUTERIUM; SPIN ORIENTATION; HYDROGEN; RUBIDIUM; SPIN EXCHANGE; ATOMS; LASER RADIATION; OPTICAL PUMPING; POLARIZED BEAMS; WALL EFFECTS; ALKALI METALS; BEAMS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELEMENTS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; METALS; NONMETALS; NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; ORIENTATION; PUMPING; RADIATIONS; STABLE ISOTOPES; 640302* - Atomic, Molecular & Chemical Physics- Atomic & Molecular Properties & Theory

Citation Formats

Redsun, S G, Knize, R J, Cates, G D, and Happer, W. Production of highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium by spin-exchange optical pumping. United States: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.42.1293.
Redsun, S G, Knize, R J, Cates, G D, & Happer, W. Production of highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium by spin-exchange optical pumping. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.42.1293
Redsun, S G, Knize, R J, Cates, G D, and Happer, W. 1990. "Production of highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium by spin-exchange optical pumping". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.42.1293.
@article{osti_6513907,
title = {Production of highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium by spin-exchange optical pumping},
author = {Redsun, S G and Knize, R J and Cates, G D and Happer, W},
abstractNote = {We have produced highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen by spin-exchange optical pumping. A tunable ring dye laser is used to polarize rubidium atoms by optical pumping. The cell containing the rubidium vapor is coated with paraffin in order to reduce spin relaxation due to wall collisions. Hydrogen gas is dissociated in an inductive discharge and flows continuously through the cell, in which the hydrogen atoms are polarized by spin-exchange collisions with the polarized rubidium atoms. Atomic-hydrogen polarization as high as 2{l angle}{ital J}{sub {ital z}}{r angle}{sub H}=0.72(6) has been observed, which is the highest polarization yet produced by this method. However, the rubidium polarization may be limited to this value due to radiation trapping at higher rubidium densities. The spin-relaxation rate of atomic hydrogen on a paraffin-coated cell is also measured and corresponds to about 7600 wall bounces between wall relaxation.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevA.42.1293},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6513907}, journal = {Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA)},
issn = {0556-2791},
number = ,
volume = 42:3,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990},
month = {Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990}
}