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

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters

Production of polarized molecules of hydrogen isotopes

Dmitri K. Toporkov, A. V. Gramolin, S. A. Zevakov, D. M. Nikolenko, Igor A. Rachek, R. Sh. Sadykov, Yu. V. Shestakov

Published Mar 1, 2017• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The possibility of producing polarized molecules of hydrogen isotopes by their spin separation in the inhomogeneous field of superconducting magnets has been demonstrated. This method proposed in our previous works has been implemented with a source of polarized atoms developed at the Budker Institute for Nuclear Physics. The measured flux of polarized molecules is compared with the simulation results. The possibility of developing a more intense source of polarized molecules is discussed.

DOI
10.1134/s0021364017050125

Related papers

An Experimental Setup for Production of Polarized H2 and D2 Molecules

Dmitri K. Toporkov, S. A. Zevakov, D. M. Nikolenko +3 more

Abstract— The setup is designed to produce spin-polarized hydrogen and deuterium molecules. Superconducting sextupole magnets with a magnetic induction of 3.4 T near the poles and a field gradient of 320 T/m were used for the spatial separation of molecules with different magnetic moments by spin filtration in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The choice of the location of the polarized-molecule source elements is justified. Cryogenic pumps are used in the molecular-beam detection chamber in order to obtain an ultrahigh vacuum. At a nozzle temperature of 7 K, the measured flux of spin-polarized hydrogen molecules is 3 × 1012 molecules/s. For deuterium, the measured flux is lower by more than seven times due to the small magnetic moments.

Instruments and Experimental Techniques•Jan 1, 2019•2 citations

Production of HD Molecules in Definite Hyperfine Substates

R. Engels, K. Grigoryev, Chrysovalantis S. Kannis +10 more

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.

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

Nuclear-spin-polarization dynamics of H 2 , D 2 , and HD molecules in magnetic fields

Chrysovalantis S. Kannis, George E. Katsoprinakis, Dimitris Sofikitis +1 more

We study the polarization dynamics of the molecular rotation and the nuclear spin in the presence of magnetic fields, in the hydrogen isotope molecules, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{D}}_{2}$, and HD. If only the rotational or the nuclear angular momentum is polarized, polarization is transferred from one to the other and back in a oscillatory fashion, due to hyperfine quantum beats. Application of magnetic fields is shown to increase the frequencies of these oscillations and reduce their amplitude so that the polarization exchange can be strongly suppressed. We derive the time-averaged polarization as a function of the (static) magnetic field. Finally, we show, using continuous lasers, molecular beams, and static magnetic fields, that the molecular rotation polarization can be transferred and maintained in the nuclear spin, providing highly nuclear-spin-polarized molecules.

Physical Review A•Oct 18, 2018•6 citations

Spontaneous nuclear polarization of atomic hydrogen at low magnetic field

V. G. Luppov, T. Roser

The known spin-exchange rates of atomic hydrogen lead to fast spontaneous buildup of high nuclear polarization at low magnetic field. We propose to use the nuclear polarized atomic hydrogen gas to produce an intense ultracold nuclear polarized beam of atomic hydrogen.

Review of Scientific Instruments•Oct 1, 1992•1 citation

Polarization of deuterium molecules

J. F. J. van den Brand, Henk Jan Bulten, M. Ferro-Luzzi +15 more

For molecular systems, spin relaxation is expected to be suppressed compared to the case of atoms, since the paired electrons in a hydrogen or deuterium molecule are chemically stable, and only weakly interact with the spin of the nucleus. Such systems would be largely insensitive to polarization losses due to spin-exchange collisions, to the interaction of the electron spins with external fields (e.g. the RF-field of a bunched charged-particle beam), and/or to the presence of container walls. Here, we discuss the results of a recent experiment where we obtained evidence that nuclear polarization is maintained, when polarized atoms recombine to molecules on a copper surface (in a magnetic field of 23 mT and at a density of about 1012 molecules⋅cm−3).

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 1998•0 citations

Spin-polarized hydrogen and its isotopes: A rich class of quantum phases (Review Article)

I. Bešlić, Leandra Vranješ Markić, Jordi Boronat

We review the recent activity in the theoretical description of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and its isotopes at very low temperatures. Spin-polarized hydrogen is the only system in nature that remains stable in the gas phase even in the zero temperature limit due to its small mass and weak interatomic interaction. Hydrogen and its heavier isotope tritium are bosons, the heavier mass of tritium producing a self-bound (liquid) system at zero temperature. The other isotope, deuterium, is a fermion with nuclear spin one making possible the study of three different quantum systems depending on the population of the three degenerate spin states. From the theoretical point of view, spin-polarized hydrogen is specially appealing because its interatomic potential is very accurately known making possible its precise quantum many-body study. The experimental study of atomic hydrogen has been very difficult due to its high recombination rate, but it finally led to its Bose-Einstein condensate state in 1998. Degeneracy has also been observed in thin films of hydrogen adsorbed on the 4He surface allowing for the possibility of observing the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless superfluid transition.

Low Temperature Physics•Oct 1, 2013•9 citations
The possibility of producing polarized molecules of hydrogen isotopes by their spin separation in the inhomogeneous field of superconducting magnets has been demonstrated. This method proposed in our previous works has been implemented with a source of polarized atoms developed at the Budker Institute for Nuclear Physics. The measured flux of polarized molecules is compared with the simulation results. The possibility of developing a more intense source of polarized molecules is discussed.
Abstract— The setup is designed to produce spin-polarized hydrogen and deuterium molecules. Superconducting sextupole magnets with a magnetic induction of 3.4 T near the poles and a field gradient of 320 T/m were used for the spatial separation of molecules with different magnetic moments by spin filtration in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The choice of the location of the polarized-molecule source elements is justified. Cryogenic pumps are used in the molecular-beam detection chamber in order to obtain an ultrahigh vacuum. At a nozzle temperature of 7 K, the measured flux of spin-polarized hydrogen molecules is 3 × 1012 molecules/s. For deuterium, the measured flux is lower by more than seven times due to the small magnetic moments.
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.
We study the polarization dynamics of the molecular rotation and the nuclear spin in the presence of magnetic fields, in the hydrogen isotope molecules, H2,D2{\mathrm{H}}_{2},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{D}}_{2}H2​,D2​, and HD. If only the rotational or the nuclear angular momentum is polarized, polarization is transferred from one to the other and back in a oscillatory fashion, due to hyperfine quantum beats. Application of magnetic fields is shown to increase the frequencies of these oscillations and reduce their amplitude so that the polarization exchange can be strongly suppressed. We derive the time-averaged polarization as a function of the (static) magnetic field. Finally, we show, using continuous lasers, molecular beams, and static magnetic fields, that the molecular rotation polarization can be transferred and maintained in the nuclear spin, providing highly nuclear-spin-polarized molecules.
For molecular systems, spin relaxation is expected to be suppressed compared to the case of atoms, since the paired electrons in a hydrogen or deuterium molecule are chemically stable, and only weakly interact with the spin of the nucleus. Such systems would be largely insensitive to polarization losses due to spin-exchange collisions, to the interaction of the electron spins with external fields (e.g. the RF-field of a bunched charged-particle beam), and/or to the presence of container walls. Here, we discuss the results of a recent experiment where we obtained evidence that nuclear polarization is maintained, when polarized atoms recombine to molecules on a copper surface (in a magnetic field of 23 mT and at a density of about 1012 molecules⋅cm−3).
We review the recent activity in the theoretical description of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and its isotopes at very low temperatures. Spin-polarized hydrogen is the only system in nature that remains stable in the gas phase even in the zero temperature limit due to its small mass and weak interatomic interaction. Hydrogen and its heavier isotope tritium are bosons, the heavier mass of tritium producing a self-bound (liquid) system at zero temperature. The other isotope, deuterium, is a fermion with nuclear spin one making possible the study of three different quantum systems depending on the population of the three degenerate spin states. From the theoretical point of view, spin-polarized hydrogen is specially appealing because its interatomic potential is very accurately known making possible its precise quantum many-body study. The experimental study of atomic hydrogen has been very difficult due to its high recombination rate, but it finally led to its Bose-Einstein condensate state in 1998. Degeneracy has also been observed in thin films of hydrogen adsorbed on the 4He surface allowing for the possibility of observing the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless superfluid transition.