We describe a cesium atomic beam (
1014 atoms ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, 6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}
1016 atoms ${\mathrm{sr}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ ${\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$) spin polarized using light from two diode lasers. Of the atoms, 95% may be placed into either the 6
S1/2(F,
mF)=(3,3) or (4,4) state, with less than 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}4}$ of the atoms left in the depleted hyperfine level. The latter fraction rises linearly with atomic beam intensity because of reabsorption of light scattered during the optical pumping process. This and other effects limiting complete hyperfine pumping are discussed.
A spin-exchange optical pumping experiment to study collisions between cesium atoms and quasifree electrons is reported. In this experiment, electrons in a weak magnetic field were polarized through spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped cesium atoms. The cesium-electron collisions were the principal source of the electron-resonance linewidth, and they also gave rise to a shift in the center frequency of the electron resonance. The magnitudes of the linewidth and frequency shift depend upon the two-body scattering amplitude for elastic collisions, the cesium polarization, and the cesium density. From measurements of the electron linewidth and the frequency shift, a value is derived for the electron-cesium spin-flip cross section. The spin-flip cross section at 20\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C is found to be approximately 3.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$
cm2. The expressions for the linewidth and frequency shift due to spin-exchange collisions of electrons with alkali-metal atoms are generalized to cover the case where there is a spin-orbit interaction between the electron-alkali-metal-atom systems.