Spin-polarized /sup 3/He nuclear targets and metastable /sup 4/He atoms by optical pumping with a tunable, Nd:YAP laser
Several Nd:YAP lasers were constructed which could be broadly tuned in the 1083-nm region which includes the helium 2/sup 3/S-2/sup 3/P transition, using a Lyot filter and thin, uncoated etalons within the laser cavity. 1 W of power could be extracted at 1083 nm through a 1% transmitting output coupler. This laser beam was used to optically pump metastable /sup 4/He and /sup 3/He 2/sup 3/S helium atoms in a weak discharge cell, spin polarizing the metastable ensemble. In a /sup 3/He cell the polarization is transferred to the nuclear spin system. A /sup 3/He target cell at 0.3 Torr was polarized to 52% in a few minutes. We describe the application of this system to the design of polarized targets for experiments in nuclear physics.
- Research Organization:
- Laboratory for Atomic and Molecular Physics, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Missouri 65401
- OSTI ID:
- 5376511
- Journal Information:
- J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 63:8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Nd-doped, tunable IR lasers for helium optical pumping
Tunable lasers at 1080 nm for helium optical pumping
Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
HELIUM 3
OPTICAL PUMPING
POLARIZATION
HELIUM 4
POLARIZED TARGETS
FABRICATION
NEODYMIUM LASERS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LASERS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
PUMPING
SOLID STATE LASERS
STABLE ISOTOPES
TARGETS
640301* - Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics- Beams & their Reactions