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AIP conference proceedings

Nuclear spin polarized H and D by means of spin-exchange optical pumping

J. Stenger, C. Großhauser, Wolfgang Kilian, W. Nagengast, Bernd Ranzenberger, Klaus Rith, Frank Schmidt

Published Jan 1, 1998• 2 citations

Abstract

Optically pumped spin-exchange sources for polarized hydrogen and deuterium atoms have been demonstrated to yield high atomic flow and high electron spin polarization. For maximum nuclear polarization the source has to be operated in spin temperature equilibrium, which has already been demonstrated for hydrogen. In spin temperature equilibrium the nuclear spin polarization PI equals the electron spin polarization PS for hydrogen and is even larger than PS for deuterium. We discuss the general properties of spin temperature equilibrium for a sample of deuterium atoms. One result are the equations PI=4PS/(3+PS2) and Pzz=PS⋅PI, where Pzz is the nuclear tensor polarization. Furthermore we demonstrate that the deuterium atoms from our source are in spin temperature equilibrium within the experimental accuracy.

DOI: 10.1063/1.54999

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arXiv:2002.02009•Physical Review Letters•Mar 18, 2020•9 citations

Optically pumped spin-exchange sources for polarized hydrogen and deuterium atoms have been demonstrated to yield high atomic flow and high electron spin polarization. For maximum nuclear polarization the source has to be operated in spin temperature equilibrium, which has already been demonstrated for hydrogen. In spin temperature equilibrium the nuclear spin polarization PI equals the electron spin polarization PS for hydrogen and is even larger than PS for deuterium. We discuss the general properties of spin temperature equilibrium for a sample of deuterium atoms. One result are the equations PI=4PS/(3+PS2) and Pzz=PS⋅PI, where Pzz is the nuclear tensor polarization. Furthermore we demonstrate that the deuterium atoms from our source are in spin temperature equilibrium within the experimental accuracy.

The electron polarization of hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) atoms in a spin-exchange optical-pumping apparatus has been measured as a function of H (D) density and magnetic-field strength. The atomic density was varied between 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}

{10}^{13}

and 2.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}

{10}^{14}

atoms/

{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}

and the magnetic-field strength from 120 to 400 mT. The results suggest that the atoms approach spin-temperature equilibrium even though the magnetic fields are large compared to the critical fields of the atoms.

Optical pumping of potassium atoms followed by spin-exchange scattering with deuterium atoms in a high magnetic field was found to produce an intense, highly spin-polarized beam of atomic deuterium. In particular, the atomic polarization of deuterium was determined to be (73\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)% at an intensity of 2.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}

{10}^{17}

atoms/s.

We have produced highly spin-polarized atomic hydrogen by spin-exchange optical pumping. A tunable ring dye laser is used to polarize rubidium atoms by optical pumping. The cell containing the rubidium vapor is coated with paraffin in order to reduce spin relaxation due to wall collisions. Hydrogen gas is dissociated in an inductive discharge and flows continuously through the cell, in which the hydrogen atoms are polarized by spin-exchange collisions with the polarized rubidium atoms. Atomic-hydrogen polarization as high as 2〈

{\mathit{J}}_{\mathit{z}}

{\mathrm{〉}}_{\mathrm{H}}

=0.72(6) has been observed, which is the highest polarization yet produced by this method. However, the rubidium polarization may be limited to this value due to radiation trapping at higher rubidium densities. The spin-relaxation rate of atomic hydrogen on a paraffin-coated cell is also measured and corresponds to about 7600 wall bounces between wall relaxation.

Recent progress in the performance of laser-driven source of polarized deuterium is described. Optical pumping of potassium atoms followed by spin exchange scattering with deuterium atoms in a high magnetic field and RF transitions in a medium field was found to produce an intense, highly spin-polarized beam of deuterium atoms. In particular, the atomic polarization of deuterium was determined to be 73{plus_minus}3% at an intensity of 2.1 {times} 10{sup 17} Atomsis. The RF transition efficiency was measured and found to be 92{plus_minus}5%.

Recent results from a laser‐driven source of polarized hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) are presented. The performance of the source is described as a function of atomic flow rate and magnetic field. The data suggest that because atomic densities in the source are high, the system can approach spin‐temperature equilibrium although applied magnetic fields are much larger than the critical field of the atoms. We also observe the potassium contamination in the source emittance can be reduced to a negligible amount using a teflon‐lined transport tube.

Polarized atomic beam sources have been in operation for many years to produce either nuclear polarized atomic hydrogen or deuterium beams. In recent experiments, such a source was used to polarize both isotopes independently at the same time. By recombination of the atoms, hydrogen-deuterium molecules with all possible nuclear spin combinations can be created. Those spin isomers are useful for further applications, like precision spectroscopy, as polarized targets for laser-particle acceleration, polarized fuel for fusion reactors, or as an option for future measurements of electric dipole moments.