NUCLEAR POLARIZATION OF He$sup 3$ GAS BY METASTABILITY EXCHANGE WITH OPTICALLY PUMPED METASTABLE He$sup 3$ATOMS

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962 · Phys. Rev. Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.8.439· OSTI ID:4823956

Walters, G K; Colegrove, F D; Schearer, L D

A small fraction of metastable He/sup 3/ is maintained, by means of a r- f discharge, in He/sup 3/ in a magnetic field. The metastable atoms are partially polarized by optical pumping using a 1- mu V circularly polarized pumping light. Further, however, the stable and metastable atoms are capable of exchanging excitations; in the exchange reactions, the outgoing stable atoms may have magnetic quantum numbers differing by unity from those of the ingoing stable atoms. Thus spin-flip operators connecting the stable and metastable atoms are introduced, and the exchange reactions have the effect of polarizing the stable ground-state atoms. Nuclear polarizations of 0.8 and 3.5% are obtained at room temperature at pressures of 10 and 1 man Hg respectively. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of ground-state and 3/sub s1/ He/sup 3/ atoms are also reported. (T.F.H.)

• Research Organization: Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas
• NSA Number: NSA-16-026332
• OSTI ID: 4823956
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. Letters, Journal Name: Phys. Rev. Letters Vol. Vol: 8
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ATOMS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITATION
GASES
HELIUM 3
INTERACTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE
NUCLEI
OPTICAL PUMPING
PHYSICS
POLARIZATION
RADIO WAVES
STABILITY