Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Contemporary Physics

Thirty years of optical pumping

George William Series

Published Sep 1, 1981• 18 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This article traces the development of optical pumping from the ideas first elaborated by Kastler in 1950. It deals with the general characteristics of optical pumping, the optical ‘magnetization’ of gases and vapours, spin exchange, metastability exchange, orientation by collision, multiple quantum resonances, atomic coherences, quantum beats, and dressed atoms: and concludes with a note on laser spectroscopy.

DOI
10.1080/00107518108231547

Related papers

Bitter, Brossel, Kastler and beyond : thirty years of U.S.-French collaboration in optical resonance

H. Henry Stroke

A few reminescences of the rôle of A. Kastler, F. Bitter, and J. Brossel in the development of optical pumping and resonance and the influence on some current work in laser spectroscopy are presented. Coherence narrowing is recalled and results of an experiment with S. Klepner at N.Y.U., studying the effect at constant atom density but varying temperatures, are reported.

Annales de Physique•Jan 1, 1985•0 citations

Current research in optical pumping

P. R. Berman

In 1950, Professor Alfred Kastler described the way in which optical fields could be used to redistribute population among the Zeeman sublevels of a given atomic state. The « optical pumping » process discovered by Kastler continues to be a research topic of current interest. With developments in laser spectroscopy, it has become important to understand the interplay of optical pumping, transit-time and collisional effects to properly interpret experimental line shapes. A brief review of the current status of the theory is given, with special emphasis on what, as yet, appear to be unresolved problems. Velocity selective optical pumping and collision-induced resonances are discussed.

Annales de Physique•Jan 1, 1985•0 citations

New Mechanisms for Laser Cooling

Claude N. Cohen-Tannoudji, William D. Phillips

When an atom or a molecule interacts with a light beam, the light emitted or absorbed carries valuable information about the atomic or molecular structure. This phenomenon underlies the whole field of spectroscopy. But the interaction of a photon with an atom can be used to manipulate the atom as well as to probe its structure. For example, in an approach called optical pumping, invented by Alfred Kastler, one can use the resonant exchange of angular momentum between atoms and polarized photons to align or orient the spins of atoms or to put them in nonequilibrium situations. In his original 1950 paper Kastler also proposed using optical pumping to cool and to heat the internal degrees of freedom, calling the phenomena the “effet luminofrigorique” and the “effet luminocalorique.” Another famous example of the use of photon-atom interaction to control atoms is laser cooling. This technique relies on resonant exchange of linear momentum between photons and atoms to control their external degrees of freedom and thus to reduce their kinetic energy. Laser cooling was suggested independently by Theodor Hänsch and Arthur Schawlow for neutral atoms and by David Wineland and Hans Dehmelt for trapped ions. In an article written three years ago for PHYSICS TODAY (June 1987, page 34), Wineland and Wayne Itano presented the principle of laser cooling and the potential applications of cold atoms to fields of physics such as ultrahigh resolution spectroscopy, atomic clocks, collisions, surface physics and collective quantum effects. At that time laser cooling had brought temperatures down to a few hundred microkelvin, but unexpected improvements during the last three years have dramatically lowered those temperatures to only a few microkelvin. We now feel we understand the new physical mechanisms responsible for these very low temperatures.

Physics Today•Oct 1, 1990•235 citations

Alfred Kastler's inspiration of the optical pumping studies in Poland

T. Dohnalik, Wojciech Gawlik

Optical pumping activity in Poland is reviewed with particular emphasis on Professor Kastler's inspiration in its development. The reviewed activity concerns studies of relaxation, modulation effects, level crossing and anticrossing effects, dressed atom model and of the forward scattering of resonance radiation.

Annales de Physique•Jan 1, 1985•0 citations

Lumino-réfrigération

P. E. Toschek

In a paper of 1950, Alfred Kastler proposed cooling of vapours by resonant light via optical pumping of the orientational levels of angular momentum, and successive collisions. Optical pumping of the degrees of freedom of the translational momentum is also feasible. This phenomenon has been demonstrated with ions, even with a single ion, in an electrodynamic or electromagnetic trap. Optical cooling by Raman-like two-photon transitions seems to be capable of generating ultra-low temperature levels.

Annales de Physique•Jan 1, 1985•11 citations

Spin exchange, past, present and future

W. Happer

Les collisions d'echange de spin sont un processus tres efficace pour transferer du moment angulaire a partir d'atomes qui ont ete polarises par un pompage optique de type Kastler, au spin electronique ou nucleaire d'atomes qui ne peuvent pas etre polarises directement par pompage optique. Dans cet article sont discutes l'histoire, l'etat actuel et quelques possibilites futures de l'echange de spin. Abstract. — Spin exchange collisions have been a very effective mechanism for transferring angular momentum from atoms which have been polarized by Kastler's optical pumping method to electron and nuclear spins of species which cannot be directly polarized by optical pumping. The history, current status and some of the future possibilities of spin exchange are discussed in this paper.

Annales de Physique•Jan 1, 1985•17 citations
This article traces the development of optical pumping from the ideas first elaborated by Kastler in 1950. It deals with the general characteristics of optical pumping, the optical ‘magnetization’ of gases and vapours, spin exchange, metastability exchange, orientation by collision, multiple quantum resonances, atomic coherences, quantum beats, and dressed atoms: and concludes with a note on laser spectroscopy.
In 1950, Professor Alfred Kastler described the way in which optical fields could be used to redistribute population among the Zeeman sublevels of a given atomic state. The « optical pumping » process discovered by Kastler continues to be a research topic of current interest. With developments in laser spectroscopy, it has become important to understand the interplay of optical pumping, transit-time and collisional effects to properly interpret experimental line shapes. A brief review of the current status of the theory is given, with special emphasis on what, as yet, appear to be unresolved problems. Velocity selective optical pumping and collision-induced resonances are discussed.
When an atom or a molecule interacts with a light beam, the light emitted or absorbed carries valuable information about the atomic or molecular structure. This phenomenon underlies the whole field of spectroscopy. But the interaction of a photon with an atom can be used to manipulate the atom as well as to probe its structure. For example, in an approach called optical pumping, invented by Alfred Kastler, one can use the resonant exchange of angular momentum between atoms and polarized photons to align or orient the spins of atoms or to put them in nonequilibrium situations. In his original 1950 paper Kastler also proposed using optical pumping to cool and to heat the internal degrees of freedom, calling the phenomena the “effet luminofrigorique” and the “effet luminocalorique.” Another famous example of the use of photon-atom interaction to control atoms is laser cooling. This technique relies on resonant exchange of linear momentum between photons and atoms to control their external degrees of freedom and thus to reduce their kinetic energy. Laser cooling was suggested independently by Theodor Hänsch and Arthur Schawlow for neutral atoms and by David Wineland and Hans Dehmelt for trapped ions. In an article written three years ago for PHYSICS TODAY (June 1987, page 34), Wineland and Wayne Itano presented the principle of laser cooling and the potential applications of cold atoms to fields of physics such as ultrahigh resolution spectroscopy, atomic clocks, collisions, surface physics and collective quantum effects. At that time laser cooling had brought temperatures down to a few hundred microkelvin, but unexpected improvements during the last three years have dramatically lowered those temperatures to only a few microkelvin. We now feel we understand the new physical mechanisms responsible for these very low temperatures.
In a paper of 1950, Alfred Kastler proposed cooling of vapours by resonant light via optical pumping of the orientational levels of angular momentum, and successive collisions. Optical pumping of the degrees of freedom of the translational momentum is also feasible. This phenomenon has been demonstrated with ions, even with a single ion, in an electrodynamic or electromagnetic trap. Optical cooling by Raman-like two-photon transitions seems to be capable of generating ultra-low temperature levels.
Les collisions d'echange de spin sont un processus tres efficace pour transferer du moment angulaire a partir d'atomes qui ont ete polarises par un pompage optique de type Kastler, au spin electronique ou nucleaire d'atomes qui ne peuvent pas etre polarises directement par pompage optique. Dans cet article sont discutes l'histoire, l'etat actuel et quelques possibilites futures de l'echange de spin. Abstract. — Spin exchange collisions have been a very effective mechanism for transferring angular momentum from atoms which have been polarized by Kastler's optical pumping method to electron and nuclear spins of species which cannot be directly polarized by optical pumping. The history, current status and some of the future possibilities of spin exchange are discussed in this paper.