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Journal of Applied Physics

Enhancement of X129e polarization by off-resonant spin exchange optical pumping

Steven R. Parnell, Martin H. Deppe, Juan Parra‐Robles, Jim M. Wild

Published Sep 15, 2010• 21 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A high power narrow line width (38 W, 0.09 nm full width at half maximum) external cavity diode laser is investigated for rubidium spin exchange optical pumping of X129e. This tunable photon source has a constant line width, independent of operating power or wavelength within a 1 nm tuning range. When using this laser, an increase in the X129e nuclear polarization is observed when optically pumping at a lower wavelength than the measured Rb electron D1 absorption. The exact detuning from D1 for the highest polarization is dependent upon the gas density. Furthermore, at high power and/or high Rb density, a reduction in the polarization occurs at the optimum wavelength as previously reported in spin exchange optical pumping studies of H3e which is consistent with high absorption close to the cell front face. These results are encouraging for moderate high throughput polarization of X129e in the midpressure range of (0.5–2.0 amagat).

DOI
10.1063/1.3478707

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A high power narrow line width (38 W, 0.09 nm full width at half maximum) external cavity diode laser is investigated for rubidium spin exchange optical pumping of X129e. This tunable photon source has a constant line width, independent of operating power or wavelength within a 1 nm tuning range. When using this laser, an increase in the X129e nuclear polarization is observed when optically pumping at a lower wavelength than the measured Rb electron D1 absorption. The exact detuning from D1 for the highest polarization is dependent upon the gas density. Furthermore, at high power and/or high Rb density, a reduction in the polarization occurs at the optimum wavelength as previously reported in spin exchange optical pumping studies of H3e which is consistent with high absorption close to the cell front face. These results are encouraging for moderate high throughput polarization of X129e in the midpressure range of (0.5–2.0 amagat).
We investigate 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe-Cs (D1,D2{D}_{1},{D}_{2}D1​,D2​) spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP) at high Xe densities ($~0.12−−2.44amagat)usingnewlyavailablehigh−power(0.12--2.44 amagat) using newly available high-power (0.12−−2.44amagat)usingnewlyavailablehigh−power(>$40 W) laser diode arrays and compare with 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe-Rb D1{D}_{1}D1​ SEOP under similar conditions. At elevated Xe densities, the spin-exchange rate (per alkali-metal atom, ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$) for Cs-129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe is $~1.5−foldgreaterthanthatforRb−1.5-fold greater than that for Rb-1.5−foldgreaterthanthatforRb−^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$. Higher spin-exchange rates and lower 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe spin-destruction rates for Cs-129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe versus Rb-129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe contribute to  ~ twofold improvement in 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe nuclear spin polarization measured at 9.4 T---with the largest gains observed at the highest Xe densities.
Here we present a $\mathrm{Rb}\text{\ensuremath{-}}^{129}\mathrm{Xe}$ spin-exchange optical pumping polarizer capable of rapid generation of large volumes of highly polarized 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe gas. Through modeling and measurements we maximize the 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe nuclear spin polarization output to enable the generation of polarized 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe gas imaging volumes (300  cm3300\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}300  cm3) every 5 min within a clinical setting. Our model is verified by experiment to correctly predict the optimum Rb vapor density for maximum 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe nuclear polarization for a flux 3.4  W/cm23.4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}3.4  W/cm2 of circularly polarized Rb D1{D}_{1}D1​ photons incident on an 80 cm long cylindrical optical cell. We measure a 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe magnetization production efficiency of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\mathrm{pr}}=1.8%$, which approaches the photon efficiency limit ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}=3.3%$ of this system and enables the polarization of $2.72\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{22}$ 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe spins per hour, corresponding to 1013  cm31013\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}1013  cm3 of 100% polarized 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe at STP. This magnetization production rate is threefold higher than the highest previously published 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe magnetization production rate and has enabled routine clinical lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with hyperpolarized 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe doses available on demand at run time, as well as high-SNR 129Xe^{129}\mathrm{Xe}129Xe MRI of the human brain and kidneys.
We present a constructed setup for polarizing 129 Xe noble gas. Hyperpolarized 129 Xe has been obtained via spin exchange with an optically pumped rubidium vapor. Optical pumping is based on polarizing the valence electron of rubidium by the resonant absorption of a circularly polarized laser light. The magnetic field of 30 G was used for obtaining 129 Xe polarization. The apparatus for detecting polarization is a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. The highest 129 Xe polarization of 54% has been obtained using 60 W circularly polarized laser light with wavelength of 794.7 nm. The measured longitudinal relaxation time of the hyperpolarized 129 Xe was 72.3 minutes.
The use of high-power ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$Alx{\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}Alx​As diode laser arrays for optical pumping of Rb vapor has been examined both theoretically and experimentally. Our studies show that large atomic polarizations can be obtained using the broad spectral output of a diode laser array if the Rb resonance line is collisionally broadened by several atmospheres of a buffer gas. The objective was to study the effectiveness of diode laser arrays as light sources for optically pumped spin-exchange polarized 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He targets. The average Rb polarization was deduced at three different Rb vapor pressures using the polarization induced in the 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He buffer gas. The largest 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He polarization observed was 53% using a 20-W diode array with 1.9-nm full width at half maximum spectral width in 10.5 amagat of 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He. This result compares favorably with other light sources for this target. The measured average Rb polarizations are compared to theoretical calculations.
We have studied laser optical pumping of Rb at densities up to 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1014{10}^{14}1014 atoms/cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3 and produced polarized 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He by spin exchange with Rb. Numerical calculations show that for a high-density Rb vapor GaAlAs diode laser arrays can provide results similar to those obtained with a broadband Kr+{\mathrm{Kr}}^{+}Kr+-ion--dye-laser system. We have confirmed these calculations with measurements using a 40-GHz full width at half maximum bandwidth dye laser and 100- and 500-mW GaAlAs diode laser arrays (Spectra Diode Labs Array Nos. SDL-2410C and SDL-2450C). We have optically pumped Rb of density [Rb]=4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1014{10}^{14}1014 atoms/cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3, and we have measured up to 70% 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He polarization in a 4-cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3 volume with 600 mW from the dye laser. With the diode laser arrays, we have pumped with 30 and 300 mW with results comparable to those obtained with the dye laser. With a 1-W diode laser array, we anticipate 70--80 % 3He^{3}\mathrm{He}3He polarization in a 4-cm3{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}cm3 volume.