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International Conference on Optoelectronics and Microelectronics

Anti-relaxation coating of the vapor cell

Xie Xin, Liu Yunhui, Bai Yuanyuan, Xu Yun-Fei

Published Sep 1, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In order to achieve the maximum possible polarization lifetime of the alkali atoms in the vapor cell, we discussed several spin-relaxation mechanisms and anti-relaxation methods. We found that octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) acts as an anti-relaxation coating for alkali atoms, with good effect in high-temperature conditions.
DOI
10.1109/icoom.2013.6626535

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Abstract Anti-relaxation coatings play an important role in enhancing the polarization lifetime of polarized alkali-metal atoms. In this study, octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was coated in spherical rubidium vapor cells fabricated using borosilicate glass with two stems as anti-relaxation coatings. An orthogonal experiment method was employed to obtain the optimal conditions. The results showed that OTS concentration is the dominant factor in the number of bounces, followed by the soaking time and molar ratio/(H2O:OTS). The optimal parameters were 6 mM of OTS, 6:1 of molar ratio/(H2O:OTS), and 80 min of soaking time. The number of bounces can be up to 200. Atomic force microscope images showed that the number and coverage ratio of clusters on the anti-relaxation coating fabricated by the optimized parameters are significantly less than the number and coverage ratio of clusters formed by other conditions. This means that the clusters in the coatings significantly affect the anti-relaxation performance. In addition, five OTS-coated cells were fabricated by A3B3C5 combination. However, the variability from cell to cell using the exact same preparation procedure can be up to 43.6%. The variability may be caused by the different aging times of the OTS solution. Because only one beaker of OTS solution was prepared, the OTS solution was pumped into the cells in sequence, not at the same time.
Optically-dense alkali-metal vapor cells with low optical losses are widely used in quantum precision measurements, yet atomic behaviors in coated cells still need further study. We developed an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) anti-relaxation and dielectric anti-reflection coated multipass optical cell filled with rubidium vapor at high density, and investigated the spin relaxation as well as the spin noise of the atomic ensembles. High contrast spin noise spectrum was observed and we find that the quantum coherence lifetime is equal to the classical transverse spin relaxation time. Number density measurements give the spin-exchange possibility of 14% between rubidium atoms trapped in the coating.
We present an experimental investigation of alkali atom vapor cells coated with a high quality anti-relaxation coating material based on alkenes. The prepared cells with single compound alkene based coating showed the longest spin relaxation times which have been measured up to now with room temperature vapor cells. Suggestions are made that chemical binding of a cesium atom and an alkene molecule by attack to the C=C bond plays a crucial role in such improvement of anti-relaxation coating quality.
We present an experimental investigation of alkali atom vapor cells coated with a high quality anti-relaxation coating material based on alkenes. The prepared cells with single compound alkene based coating showed the longest spin relaxation times which have been measured up to now with room temperature vapor cells. Suggestions are made that chemical binding of a cesium atom and an alkene molecule by attack to the C = C bond plays a crucial role in such improvement of anti-relaxation coating quality.
Abstract This research explores the desorption mechanism and thermal stability of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS, CH 3 (CH 2 ) 17 SiCl 3 ) coating on quartz slides and in alkali‐metal vapour cells. The morphological thermal‐changes, energy dissipation diversity, and anti‐relaxation characteristic of OTS coatings before and after exposure to Cs atoms by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy imaging, collision energy dissipation analysis, and free induction decay of Cs atoms are measured systematically. The results show that the OTS coatings exhibit the best thermal stability under the specific process conditions, and the homogeneous and dense structure makes the adsorption of alkali‐metal atoms more stable, which effectively reduces surface energy dissipation and prolongs the relaxation time of Cs atoms. The study provides certain reference for efficient anti‐relaxation coating fabrication and coated cell application.