Hybrid Optical Pumping of Optically Dense Alkali-Metal Vapor without Quenching Gas

Journal Article · Fri Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.105.243001· OSTI ID:21554461

Romalis, M V ^[1]

---

1. Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (United States)

Optical pumping of an optically thick atomic vapor typically requires a quenching buffer gas, such as N{sub 2}, to prevent radiation trapping of unpolarized photons which would depolarize the atoms. We show that optical pumping of a trace contamination of Rb present in K metal results in a 4.5 times higher polarization of K than direct optical pumping of K in the absence of N{sub 2}. Such spin-exchange polarization transfer from optically thin species is useful in a variety of areas, including spin-polarized nuclear scattering targets and electron beams, quantum-nondemolition spin measurements, and ultrasensitive magnetometry.

• OSTI ID: 21554461
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 24; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.243001; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOMS
BUFFERS
ELECTRON BEAMS
HYBRIDIZATION
NITROGEN
OPTICAL PUMPING
PHOTONS
POLARIZATION
POTASSIUM
QUENCHING
RUBIDIUM
SCATTERING
SPIN
SPIN EXCHANGE
SPIN ORIENTATION
TRAPPING
VAPORS
ALKALI METALS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
BEAMS
BOSONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
LEPTON BEAMS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
METALS
NONMETALS
ORIENTATION
PARTICLE BEAMS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PUMPING