Production of highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium by spin-exchange optical pumping
- 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), Journal Name: Physical Review, A (General Physics); (USA) Vol. 42:3; ISSN PLRAA; ISSN 0556-2791
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Atomic & Molecular Properties & Theory
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
ATOMS
BEAMS
DEUTERIUM
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LASER RADIATION
LIGHT NUCLEI
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OPTICAL PUMPING
ORIENTATION
POLARIZED BEAMS
PUMPING
RADIATIONS
RUBIDIUM
SPIN EXCHANGE
SPIN ORIENTATION
STABLE ISOTOPES
WALL EFFECTS