Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1009.5047 · Physical Review Letters

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

Michael V. Romalis

Published Dec 7, 2010• 112 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Optical pumping of an optically thick atomic vapor typically requires a quenching buffer gas, such as N2, 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 N2. 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.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.105.243001

Related papers

Optical pumping of alkali-metal vapor in the quasi-high-pressure regime

Kezheng Yan, Jinbo Hu, Nan Zhao

Optical pumping is fundamental to high-precision measurement using thermal alkali-metal atoms in vapor cells. In applications such as atomic magnetometry, buffer gases (e.g., $\mathrm{N}_2$ or $\mathrm{He}$) at specific pressures are introduced to quench fluorescence and mitigate wall relaxation. In the high-pressure limit (e.g., the $\mathrm{N}_2$ pressure $p_{\mathrm{N}_2}> 1$~atm), where collisional broadening exceeds hyperfine splittings of the atoms, optical pumping theory provides a clear description of the angular momentum exchange between photons and atomic spins. However, in many magnetic sensing scenarios, the high-pressure approximation becomes inadequate as its pressure conditions are not strictly satisfied. Consequently, an explicit description of optical pumping under realistic pressures is critical for selecting operating points and enhancing system performance. To address this, we develop a unified theoretical framework of optical pumping in the quasi-high-pressure regime, where collisional broadening is comparable to the ground-state hyperfine splitting. We demonstrate that light absorption, spin polarization, and magnetic-resonance linewidth in this regime differ significantly from those predicted by the high-pressure limit and offer favorable operating conditions. Our study extends conventional modeling and offers critical guidance for atomic magnetometry operating under realistic buffer gas pressures.

physics.atom-phCross-listedarXiv:2603.05859•Physical Review A•Mar 9, 2026•0 citations

Optical Pumping of Dense Charge-Exchange Targets for Polarized Ion Sources

Wayne D. Cornelius, DAVID J. TAYLOR, R. L. York +1 more

Optical pumping by a single-frequency cw ring dye laser of thick sodium vapor targets ($\mathrm{NL}>{10}^{13}$ atoms/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) without buffer gas has been investigated for application in a polarized ion source. The atomic polarization of the sodium was determined from the optical rotation of a second dye laser tuned midway between the $D$ lines. Rate-equation calculations reproduce the experimental data and predict very high polarizations ($P>~0.8$) with the use of one or more single-frequency dye lasers in thick alkali-metal vapor targets.

Physical Review Letters•Sep 20, 1982•38 citations

Polarization of Ne21 by Spin Exchange with Optically Pumped Rb Vapor

T. E. Chupp, K. P. Coulter

We report investigations of spin exchange between $^{21}\mathrm{Ne}$ nuclei and optically pumped Rb vapor. Polarization of 30% ($〈{K}_{z}〉=0.46$) of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{19}$ atoms-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ has been achieved with a vapor pressure of 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{14}$ atoms-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ of Rb. This high density of alkali metal can be efficiently optically pumped only when light trapping is suppressed by inclusion of at least 100 Torr of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$. In addition, we have made the first accurate measurement of the binary-collision spin-exchange rate: $〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{ex}}v〉=(4.66\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.28)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$-${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Extension of these techniques to $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ has yielded 5% polarization of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{19}$ atoms-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ in a preliminary experiment.

Physical Review Letters•Sep 2, 1985•38 citations

Spin exchange optical pumping to produce large amounts of polarized nuclei

Will Happer, E. Miron, R. J. Knize +1 more

We have discussed in detail how spin exchange collisions can transfer momentum from an alkali vapor, which can be easily polarized by optical pumping. For hydrogen atoms the spin exchange rates can be very fast and the alkali vapor can be only a small trace contamination of the atomic hydrogen gas. (AIP)

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 1984•4 citations

Theory of spin-exchange optical pumping of 3 He and 129 Xe

Stephan Appelt, Andrei Ben-Amar Baranga, Christopher Erickson +3 more

We present a comprehensive theory of nuclear spin polarization of ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and ${}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ gases by spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped alkali-metal vapors. The most important physical processes considered are (1) spin-conserving spin-exchange collisions between like or unlike alkali-metal atoms; (2) spin-destroying collisions of the alkali-metal atoms with each other and with buffer-gas atoms; (3) electron-nuclear spin-exchange collisions between alkali-metal atoms and ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ or ${}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ atoms; (4) spin interactions in van der Waals molecules consisting of a Xe atom bound to an alkali-metal atom; (5) optical pumping by laser photons; (6) spatial diffusion. The static magnetic field is assumed to be small enough that the nuclear spin of the alkali-metal atom is well coupled to the electron spin and the total spin is very nearly a good quantum number. Conditions appropriate for the production of large quantities of spin-polarized ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ or ${}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ gas are assumed, namely, atmospheres of gas pressure and nearly complete quenching of the optically excited alkali-metal atoms by collisions with ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ or ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ gas. Some of the more important results of this work are as follows: (1) Most of the pumping and relaxation processes are sudden with respect to the nuclear polarization. Consequently, the steady-state population distribution of alkali-metal atoms is well described by a spin temperature, whether the rate of spin-exchange collisions between alkali-metal atoms is large or small compared to the optical pumping rate or the collisional spin-relaxation rates. (2) The population distributions that characterize the response to sudden changes in the intensity of the pumping light are not described by a spin temperature, except in the limit of very rapid spin exchange. (3) Expressions given for the radio-frequency (rf) resonance linewidths and areas can be used to make reliable estimates of the local spin polarization of the alkali-metal atoms. (4) Diffusion effects for these high-pressure conditions are mainly limited to thin layers at the cell surface and at internal resonant surfaces generated by radio-frequency magnetic fields when the static magnetic field has substantial spatial inhomogeneities. The highly localized effects of diffusion at these surfaces are described with closed-form analytic functions instead of the spatial eigenmode expansions that are appropriate for lower-pressure cells.

Physical Review A•Aug 1, 1998•443 citations

Three-dimensional imaging of spin polarization of alkali-metal vapor in optical pumping cells

Albert R. Young, Stephan Appelt, Andrei Ben-Amar Baranga +2 more

We present detailed images of the Rb polarization in a high-pressure optical pumping cell. Images taken at high magnetic field strengths (≈37 G) yield precise information on the relative occupation probability of the hyperfine Zeeman sublevels. Low-field (⩽4 G) images yield very high resolution (less than 1 mm) maps of the spatial distribution of the Rb polarization. For optical pumping in the presence of high-pressure buffer gases, the measured populations of the hyperfine magnetic sublevels are shown to be well described by a spin temperature, even though the Rb–Rb spin exchange rate is much smaller than the rates of optical pumping or electron-randomizing Rb–Xe collisions in the buffer gas.

Applied Physics Letters•Jun 9, 1997•37 citations
Optical pumping of an optically thick atomic vapor typically requires a quenching buffer gas, such as N2, 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 N2. 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.
Optical pumping is fundamental to high-precision measurement using thermal alkali-metal atoms in vapor cells. In applications such as atomic magnetometry, buffer gases (e.g., N2\mathrm{N}_2N2​ or He\mathrm{He}He) at specific pressures are introduced to quench fluorescence and mitigate wall relaxation. In the high-pressure limit (e.g., the N2\mathrm{N}_2N2​ pressure pN2>1p_{\mathrm{N}_2}> 1pN2​​>1~atm), where collisional broadening exceeds hyperfine splittings of the atoms, optical pumping theory provides a clear description of the angular momentum exchange between photons and atomic spins. However, in many magnetic sensing scenarios, the high-pressure approximation becomes inadequate as its pressure conditions are not strictly satisfied. Consequently, an explicit description of optical pumping under realistic pressures is critical for selecting operating points and enhancing system performance. To address this, we develop a unified theoretical framework of optical pumping in the quasi-high-pressure regime, where collisional broadening is comparable to the ground-state hyperfine splitting. We demonstrate that light absorption, spin polarization, and magnetic-resonance linewidth in this regime differ significantly from those predicted by the high-pressure limit and offer favorable operating conditions. Our study extends conventional modeling and offers critical guidance for atomic magnetometry operating under realistic buffer gas pressures.
Optical pumping by a single-frequency cw ring dye laser of thick sodium vapor targets (NL>1013\mathrm{NL}>{10}^{13}NL>1013 atoms/cm2{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}cm2) without buffer gas has been investigated for application in a polarized ion source. The atomic polarization of the sodium was determined from the optical rotation of a second dye laser tuned midway between the DDD lines. Rate-equation calculations reproduce the experimental data and predict very high polarizations (P> 0.8P>~0.8P> 0.8) with the use of one or more single-frequency dye lasers in thick alkali-metal vapor targets.
We report investigations of spin exchange between 21Ne^{21}\mathrm{Ne}21Ne nuclei and optically pumped Rb vapor. Polarization of 30% (〈Kz〉=0.46〈{K}_{z}〉=0.46〈Kz​〉=0.46) of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1019{10}^{19}1019 atoms-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ has been achieved with a vapor pressure of 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1014{10}^{14}1014 atoms-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ of Rb. This high density of alkali metal can be efficiently optically pumped only when light trapping is suppressed by inclusion of at least 100 Torr of N2{\mathrm{N}}_{2}N2​. In addition, we have made the first accurate measurement of the binary-collision spin-exchange rate: $〈{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{ex}}v〉=(4.66\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.28)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$ cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3-${\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Extension of these techniques to 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He has yielded 5% polarization of 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1019{10}^{19}1019 atoms-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ in a preliminary experiment.
We present a comprehensive theory of nuclear spin polarization of 3He{}^{3}\mathrm{He}3He and 129Xe{}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe gases by spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped alkali-metal vapors. The most important physical processes considered are (1) spin-conserving spin-exchange collisions between like or unlike alkali-metal atoms; (2) spin-destroying collisions of the alkali-metal atoms with each other and with buffer-gas atoms; (3) electron-nuclear spin-exchange collisions between alkali-metal atoms and 3He{}^{3}\mathrm{He}3He or 129Xe{}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe atoms; (4) spin interactions in van der Waals molecules consisting of a Xe atom bound to an alkali-metal atom; (5) optical pumping by laser photons; (6) spatial diffusion. The static magnetic field is assumed to be small enough that the nuclear spin of the alkali-metal atom is well coupled to the electron spin and the total spin is very nearly a good quantum number. Conditions appropriate for the production of large quantities of spin-polarized 3He{}^{3}\mathrm{He}3He or 129Xe{}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe gas are assumed, namely, atmospheres of gas pressure and nearly complete quenching of the optically excited alkali-metal atoms by collisions with N2{\mathrm{N}}_{2}N2​ or H2{\mathrm{H}}_{2}H2​ gas. Some of the more important results of this work are as follows: (1) Most of the pumping and relaxation processes are sudden with respect to the nuclear polarization. Consequently, the steady-state population distribution of alkali-metal atoms is well described by a spin temperature, whether the rate of spin-exchange collisions between alkali-metal atoms is large or small compared to the optical pumping rate or the collisional spin-relaxation rates. (2) The population distributions that characterize the response to sudden changes in the intensity of the pumping light are not described by a spin temperature, except in the limit of very rapid spin exchange. (3) Expressions given for the radio-frequency (rf) resonance linewidths and areas can be used to make reliable estimates of the local spin polarization of the alkali-metal atoms. (4) Diffusion effects for these high-pressure conditions are mainly limited to thin layers at the cell surface and at internal resonant surfaces generated by radio-frequency magnetic fields when the static magnetic field has substantial spatial inhomogeneities. The highly localized effects of diffusion at these surfaces are described with closed-form analytic functions instead of the spatial eigenmode expansions that are appropriate for lower-pressure cells.
We present detailed images of the Rb polarization in a high-pressure optical pumping cell. Images taken at high magnetic field strengths (≈37 G) yield precise information on the relative occupation probability of the hyperfine Zeeman sublevels. Low-field (⩽4 G) images yield very high resolution (less than 1 mm) maps of the spatial distribution of the Rb polarization. For optical pumping in the presence of high-pressure buffer gases, the measured populations of the hyperfine magnetic sublevels are shown to be well described by a spin temperature, even though the Rb–Rb spin exchange rate is much smaller than the rates of optical pumping or electron-randomizing Rb–Xe collisions in the buffer gas.