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

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.42.1293· OSTI ID:6513907

Redsun, S G; Knize, R J; Cates, G D; Happer, W ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 (USA)

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.

• OSTI ID: 6513907
• Journal Information: Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA), Vol. 42:3; ISSN 0556-2791
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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