The spin relaxation of optically pumped rubidium vapor induced by rubidium-rare-gas atomic collisions has been investigated in an ultraclean environment. The experiment was performed under conditions such that the partial pressure of nonrare-gas impurities was less than 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}8}$ Torr, and that the time between Rb-Rb spin exchange collisions was short compared to the spin relaxation time. The cross sections (in ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) for disorientation of rubidium were found to be: He, 3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}$; Ne, 3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}$; Ar, 1.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}$; Kr, 7.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}21}$; Xe, 1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$. The fact that these cross sections are considerably smaller than previously reported values is attributed primarily to the low degree of impurity contamination in the present work. When compared with already existing values for cesium and sodium, the disorientation cross sections of these three alkali metals are seen to have a remarkably similar dependence on buffer-gas atomic number. The new experimental values are also compared with recent theoretical calculations.
The spin relaxation of optically pumped rubidium vapor induced by rubidium-rare-gas atomic collisions has been investigated in an ultraclean environment. The experiment was performed under conditions such that the partial pressure of nonrare-gas impurities was less than 1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10\ensuremath−8 Torr, and that the time between Rb-Rb spin exchange collisions was short compared to the spin relaxation time. The cross sections (in cm2) for disorientation of rubidium were found to be: He, 3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10\ensuremath−25; Ne, 3.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10\ensuremath−24; Ar, 1.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10\ensuremath−22; Kr, 7.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10\ensuremath−21; Xe, 1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10\ensuremath−19. The fact that these cross sections are considerably smaller than previously reported values is attributed primarily to the low degree of impurity contamination in the present work. When compared with already existing values for cesium and sodium, the disorientation cross sections of these three alkali metals are seen to have a remarkably similar dependence on buffer-gas atomic number. The new experimental values are also compared with recent theoretical calculations.
Relaxation experiments have been performed between 0–200 G on optically polarized Rb atoms in argon, krypton or xenon, at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 20 torr. They clearly show the existence of Rb–Ar, Rb–Kr and Rb–Xe molecules of low binding energy (smaller than kT). Molecular parameters such as lifetime, spin-orbit coupling constant, formation rate, constant of mass action, etc., are measured, or evaluated when they cannot be directly measured. Experimental values of the diffusion coefficient of Rb in the gas (except xenon) and of the disorientation cross sections by usual binary collisions are also obtained.
Spin relaxation of optically pumped Rb85 and Rb87 atoms colliding with light-noble-gas atoms is shown to be strongly influenced by an anomalous relaxation process which we attribute to the formation and destruction of bound and quasibound Van der Waals molecules. The anomalous relaxation rate has been measured and analyzed in Ne, complementing an earlier study in He. Relative rates of formation of complexes in two- and three-body collisions have been determined. The correlation time for the quasimolecular interaction in Rb-Ne has been found to be 6.7 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}$ ${p}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ sec, where p is the Ne pressure in Torr. Nuclear-spin-independent cross sections for the relaxation of 〈Sz〉 in sudden binary collisions of Rb atoms with noble-gas atoms have been measured to be (units of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}24}$ cm2: $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{He})=3.1$ $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ne})=19$ $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ar})=630$ $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{N}}_{2})=83$. Relaxation in sudden binary collisions is shown to follow the theoretically expected nuclear spin dynamics: two relaxation rates in the ratios 8:1 for Rb87 and 18:1 for Rb85 have been measured. Diffusion coefficients of Rb in the various buffer gases have been measured to be (units of cm2/ sec, at 305\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K): ${D}_{0}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{He})=0.42$, ${D}_{0}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ne})=0.235$, ${D}_{0}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ar})=0.16$, ${D}_{0}(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{N}}_{2})=0.16$. Nuclear-spin-independent cross sections for the relaxation of 〈Jz〉 in the 52P21 state of Rb have been measured to be 3.4 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ cm2 for Rb-He, and 5.9 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ cm2 for Rb-Ne. Anomalies, disagreements, and puzzles occurring in earlier measurements of ground-state relaxation in Rb are shown to be largely resolved when considered in the light of the new results.
The hyperfine relaxation of a population difference, produced by optical pumping, between the F=1mF=0 and F=2mF=0 energy levels of the ground state of Rb87, has been studied in cells containing neon, argon, helium, or krypton as a buffer gas. The relaxation times T1 and T2 have been measured as a function of the rubidium vapor pressure in the cell. The relaxation rate due to spin exchange in Rb87-Rb87 collisions has been found equal to 65 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at 44\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and the diffusion coefficients of Rb87 atoms in He, Ne, and Ar evaluated as 0.6, 0.31, and 0.22 cm2 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively. The cross section for Rb87-Ne and Rb87-Ar collisions are found to be 1.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}$ cm2 and 9\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}22}$ cm2. These values are in general agreement with values previously obtained by other methods. The extrapolated values of T21 for zero vapor pressure of rubidium are 185, 237, and 318 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for Ne, He, or Ar, respectively. Relaxations by the pumping light or by the magnetic field inhomogeneities are also discussed.
Short spin relaxation times for rubidium atoms, oriented by optical pumping, have been observed in the presence of benzene, ammonia, and dimethyl ether buffer gases. The disorientation cross sections of these gases in rubidium are obtained from relaxation times measured in mixtures with molecular nitrogen. The partial pressures of the gases were low compared to the nitrogen pressures in the mixtures, and the diffusion coefficient of rubidium in the mixtures was assumed to be the same as in pure nitrogen. The disorientation cross sections at 55°C are 7±1×10—19 cm2 for benzene, 8±2×10—18 cm2 for ammonia, and 3±1×10—18 cm2 for dimethyl ether. The cross section of carbon monoxide has also been obtained from the longer rubidium spin relaxation time in this gas. These measurements, complicated by a slow reaction of carbon monoxide with liquid rubidium, yield a cross section of 1±0.5×10—22 cm2 for carbon monoxide. The cross sections of ammonia, dimethyl ether, and benzene are much larger than cross sections of other molecular buffer gases. A discussion of the relaxation processes in these gases is given. The large cross sections of polar gases with appreciable dipole moments are found to result from an interaction of the rubidium atoms with the electric field of the polar molecules during a collision. Virtual excitation to the p states of the atom by the electric field gives rise to an interaction of the spin of the valence electron with the orbital angular momentum of the p states. The direct contribution of the magnetic field of the moving polar molecule is also considered and found to be small compared to the electric interaction. The large cross section of benzene is assumed to result from a spin exchange interaction with a charge transfer complex of rubidium and benzene formed in very small amounts. If the assumed complex is responsible for the large benzene cross section, the equilibrium constant for its formation can be calculated from an estimate of the spin exchange cross section.
Detailed studies have been made of the light transmitted through rubidium-87 vapor during the optical-pumping process, both with and without buffer gas present. The observed transients are single exponentials with no buffer gas present, and double exponentials with buffer gas present, over a wide range of pumping intensities and relaxation times. These results are in excellent agreement with the predictions based on phenomenological equations in which nuclear spin is included and a single relaxation time is assumed. From a study of the amplitudes of the two exponential components of the optical-pumping transient, an effective cross section ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ is deduced for the disorientation of rubidium-87 within the 52P21 state as a result of its collision with a buffer-gas atom. It is shown that ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{eff}}={\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{1}{2}}+{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{3}{2}}$, where ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ is the cross section for disorientation within the 52P21 level, and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ is the cross section for transfer from the 52P21 level to the 52P23 level by means of collisions with the buffer gas. On the basis of recently measured values for ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{3}{2}}$, values are deduced for ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{1}{2}}$. The cross sections are: ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{1}{2}}(\mathrm{R}\mathrm{b}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}\mathrm{e})=1.5(0.8)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ cm2, ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{1}{2}}(\mathrm{R}\mathrm{b}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{N}\mathrm{e})=4.4(2.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}17}$ cm2, and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\frac{1}{2}}(\mathrm{R}\mathrm{b}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{A}\mathrm{r})=3.5(1.8)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ cm2. These cross sections are deduced from a model in which the probabilities for Rb87 to relax from any hyperfine level to any other are all equal. This model gives a better fit with the observed transients than the assumption that the electron spin only is randomized in the P21 state with the nuclear spin unaffected. We show that accurate relaxation-time measurements can be made by measuring the time constants associated with the double exponentials as a function of light intensity, and extrapolating them to zero light intensity. Moreover, since no shutter is required, relaxation times ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ sec can be easily observed.
Spin relaxation of Rb atoms induced by collisional modification of the hyperfine interaction has been measured for 85Rb and 87Rb in He, Ne, and Ar buffer gases at high magnetic field. The relaxation rates at 40 kG are 0.028 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ ${\mathrm{Torr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for 85Rb in He, 0.029 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ ${\mathrm{Torr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for 85Rb in Ne, and 0.041 ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ ${\mathrm{Torr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for 85Rb in Ar. The corresponding relaxation rates for 87Rb are approximately 4.9 times larger, in accord with theory. Cross sections for the binary $\ensuremath{\delta}a(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{S}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{I}})$ collisional interaction are estimated to be $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\delta}a(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{S}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{I}}))(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{He})=2.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ cm2 and $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\delta}a(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{S}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{I}}))(\mathrm{Rb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Ne})=1.4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}$ cm2. Anomalous relaxation, R∗, is present in the same degree at 40 kG as at low magnetic field, lending strong support to earlier attributions of R∗ to the $\ensuremath{\delta}a(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{S}}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{I}})$ interaction in Rb-atom-noble-gas-atom van der Waals molecules.