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Optical pumping of helium-3 at high pressure and magnetic field

Pierre-Jean Nacher, Courtade, Emmanuel, Marie Abboud, Alice Sinatra, Geneviève Tastevin, T. Dohnalik

Published Jan 1, 2002• 4 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

At low magnetic field, the efficiency of metastability-exchange optical pumping of helium-3 is known to be optimal for pressures around 1 mbar. We demonstrate on several examples (up to 32 mbar) that operating in a higher magnetic field (up to 0.12 T) can significantly increase the nuclear polarisations achieved at higher pressures. Since polarisation measurements cannot be made with the standard technique, we use a general optical method based on absorption measurements at 1083 nm to measure the polarisation of the atoms in the ground state.

Related papers

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Advances in metastability exchange optical pumping (MEOP) at high laser powers, but also at high gas pressures and high magnetic field strengths, has provided strong motivation for revisiting the understanding of the limitations of this powerful technique. A comprehensive model has been developed for improved description of the combined effects of OP, ME, and relaxation, and of detailed MEOP features observed over the broad range of operating conditions. A brief description is provided, with illustrative comparisons of computed and experimental results. This improved tool is used to explain the excellent photon efficiency of OP obtained at all field strengths. It is combined with an angular momentum budget approach to quantitatively investigate the newly discovered strong OP-enhanced polarisation losses that currently limits MEOP performance.

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Record nuclear polarization in optically pumped 3He gas using a high power LNA laser

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Optical pumping is an efficient method for creating nuclear polarization M in a gas of 3He. M is first achieved in the metastable 23S state and then transfered to the ground state. Polarized 3He has numerous applications: quantum fluids, precision magnetometry, nuclear targets, etc. Much progress in achieving high values of M has resulted from the development of efficient IR lasers capable of exciting the 23S–23P3He transition at 1.08 μm. Using a novel lamp pumped LNA laser delivering 5 W cw, we have achieved M >85% for samples in the torr pressure range. To measure M we have developed an accurate technique based on the change as a function of M of the ratio between σ and π polarized light absorbed from a weak; probe beam by the 23S metastable atoms. The probe was delivered by a single mode tunable diode pumped LNA laser that was frequency modulated by using an étalon mounted on a galvoplate. M was also measured by monitoring the circular polarization of the 668 nm line emitted by the dis charge. Experimental and theoretical results on the optimization of the pumping will be presented, and the laser systems will be discussed.

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A large volume (30 cm 3 ) of dense (up to 10 15 cm -3 ) Rb vapour was pumped optically by a high-power laser diode array. The conditions for the propagation of high-power broad-band optical pump radiation through an optically dense medium were examined. A spectroscopic method was developed for determination of the polarisation of Rb. The dependence of the polarisation of Rb on its vapour pressure was investigated at buffer gas pressures of 1, 8, and 13 bar. Under optimal conditions a 15-W diode laser made it possible to polarise at least 10 18 of 3 He atoms per second during collisions between Rb and 3 He atoms, sufficient for the creation of an efficient neutron polariser.

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Some experiments in optical pumping

Rodney C. Greenhow

The work reported in this thesis consists of an investigation into three aspects of optical pumping in Helium. Optical pumping in He⁴ This work was initially directed towards repeating the observations of Colegrove and Franken (ref. 2), who first reported experiments to produce atomic alignment by optical pumping in He⁴. This was achieved, and the theory and experiments were extended to cover the case of polarisation. The 2³S₁ term in He⁴ is metastable and is used as the ground level in an optical pumping experiment. The metastable atoms are created by exciting a weak electrodeless glow discharge in low pressure He⁴ gas. [To continue reading the abstract please see the pdf]

•Jan 1, 1963•0 citations

Simple and efficient method of spin-polarizing a metastable helium beam by diode laser optical pumping

Bernd Granitza, M. Salvietti, Eugenia Torello +2 more

Diode laser optical pumping to produce a highly spin-polarized metastable He beam to be used in a spin-polarized metastable atom deexcitation spectroscopy experiment on magnetized surfaces is described. Efficient pumping of the beam is performed by means of an SDL-6702 distributed Bragg reflector diode laser which yields 50 mW of output power in a single longitudinal mode at 1083 nm, the resonance wavelength for the 23 S→23 P0,1,2 (D0, D1, and D2) transitions of He*. The light is circularly polarized by a quarter-wave plate, allowing easy change of the sense of atomic polarization. The laser frequency can be locked to the atomic transition for several hours by phase-sensitive detection of the saturated absorption signal in a He discharge cell. Any of the three transitions of the triplet system can be pumped with the laser but the maximum level of atomic polarization of 98.5% is found pumping the D2 line.

Review of Scientific Instruments•Aug 1, 1995•14 citations

Optical Pumping of Helium in the S13 Metastable State

F. D. Colegrove, P. A. Franken

The alignment of ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ atoms in the ($n=2$, metastable) $^{3}S_{1}$ state is described. Metastable atoms are produced by an rf discharge in a glass tube containing a few mm of pure helium, and the one micron pumping light ($2^{3}P\ensuremath{-}2^{3}S$) is provided by a helium lamp. A resonance signal is obtained from radio frequency disorientation by monitoring the transmitted pumping light. The double maximum line shape of this signal for strong rf magnetic fields is discussed. Included also is a discussion of the angular dependence of the signal when unpolarized light is used and an explanation of the inversion of the resonance signal for certain densities of the metastable helium atoms.The measured relaxation time of the oriented metastable atoms in the discharge is about 2.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ second and the pumping time is about a millisecond. A method is proposed and initial measurements are given for the cross section for destruction of metastable helium atoms by collision with foreign gas atoms. The application of optical pumping in helium to the measurement of weak magnetic fields is also discussed.

Physical Review•Jul 15, 1960•118 citations
At low magnetic field, the efficiency of metastability-exchange optical pumping of helium-3 is known to be optimal for pressures around 1 mbar. We demonstrate on several examples (up to 32 mbar) that operating in a higher magnetic field (up to 0.12 T) can significantly increase the nuclear polarisations achieved at higher pressures. Since polarisation measurements cannot be made with the standard technique, we use a general optical method based on absorption measurements at 1083 nm to measure the polarisation of the atoms in the ground state.
Advances in metastability exchange optical pumping (MEOP) at high laser powers, but also at high gas pressures and high magnetic field strengths, has provided strong motivation for revisiting the understanding of the limitations of this powerful technique. A comprehensive model has been developed for improved description of the combined effects of OP, ME, and relaxation, and of detailed MEOP features observed over the broad range of operating conditions. A brief description is provided, with illustrative comparisons of computed and experimental results. This improved tool is used to explain the excellent photon efficiency of OP obtained at all field strengths. It is combined with an angular momentum budget approach to quantitatively investigate the newly discovered strong OP-enhanced polarisation losses that currently limits MEOP performance.
Optical pumping is an efficient method for creating nuclear polarization M in a gas of 3He. M is first achieved in the metastable 23S state and then transfered to the ground state. Polarized 3He has numerous applications: quantum fluids, precision magnetometry, nuclear targets, etc. Much progress in achieving high values of M has resulted from the development of efficient IR lasers capable of exciting the 23S–23P3He transition at 1.08 μm. Using a novel lamp pumped LNA laser delivering 5 W cw, we have achieved M >85% for samples in the torr pressure range. To measure M we have developed an accurate technique based on the change as a function of M of the ratio between σ and π polarized light absorbed from a weak; probe beam by the 23S metastable atoms. The probe was delivered by a single mode tunable diode pumped LNA laser that was frequency modulated by using an étalon mounted on a galvoplate. M was also measured by monitoring the circular polarization of the 668 nm line emitted by the dis charge. Experimental and theoretical results on the optimization of the pumping will be presented, and the laser systems will be discussed.
A large volume (30 cm 3 ) of dense (up to 10 15 cm -3 ) Rb vapour was pumped optically by a high-power laser diode array. The conditions for the propagation of high-power broad-band optical pump radiation through an optically dense medium were examined. A spectroscopic method was developed for determination of the polarisation of Rb. The dependence of the polarisation of Rb on its vapour pressure was investigated at buffer gas pressures of 1, 8, and 13 bar. Under optimal conditions a 15-W diode laser made it possible to polarise at least 10 18 of 3 He atoms per second during collisions between Rb and 3 He atoms, sufficient for the creation of an efficient neutron polariser.
The work reported in this thesis consists of an investigation into three aspects of optical pumping in Helium. Optical pumping in He⁴ This work was initially directed towards repeating the observations of Colegrove and Franken (ref. 2), who first reported experiments to produce atomic alignment by optical pumping in He⁴. This was achieved, and the theory and experiments were extended to cover the case of polarisation. The 2³S₁ term in He⁴ is metastable and is used as the ground level in an optical pumping experiment. The metastable atoms are created by exciting a weak electrodeless glow discharge in low pressure He⁴ gas. [To continue reading the abstract please see the pdf]
Diode laser optical pumping to produce a highly spin-polarized metastable He beam to be used in a spin-polarized metastable atom deexcitation spectroscopy experiment on magnetized surfaces is described. Efficient pumping of the beam is performed by means of an SDL-6702 distributed Bragg reflector diode laser which yields 50 mW of output power in a single longitudinal mode at 1083 nm, the resonance wavelength for the 23 S→23 P0,1,2 (D0, D1, and D2) transitions of He*. The light is circularly polarized by a quarter-wave plate, allowing easy change of the sense of atomic polarization. The laser frequency can be locked to the atomic transition for several hours by phase-sensitive detection of the saturated absorption signal in a He discharge cell. Any of the three transitions of the triplet system can be pumped with the laser but the maximum level of atomic polarization of 98.5% is found pumping the D2 line.
The alignment of He4{\mathrm{He}}^{4}He4 atoms in the (n=2n=2n=2, metastable) 3S1^{3}S_{1}3S1​ state is described. Metastable atoms are produced by an rf discharge in a glass tube containing a few mm of pure helium, and the one micron pumping light ($2^{3}P\ensuremath{-}2^{3}S$) is provided by a helium lamp. A resonance signal is obtained from radio frequency disorientation by monitoring the transmitted pumping light. The double maximum line shape of this signal for strong rf magnetic fields is discussed. Included also is a discussion of the angular dependence of the signal when unpolarized light is used and an explanation of the inversion of the resonance signal for certain densities of the metastable helium atoms.The measured relaxation time of the oriented metastable atoms in the discharge is about 2.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ second and the pumping time is about a millisecond. A method is proposed and initial measurements are given for the cross section for destruction of metastable helium atoms by collision with foreign gas atoms. The application of optical pumping in helium to the measurement of weak magnetic fields is also discussed.