Spin relaxation in alkali vapors

L. W. Anderson

Xie Xin, Liu Yunhui, Bai Yuanyuan +1 more

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.

Christopher Erickson, David Levron, W. Happer +4 more

Resonances in the magnetic decoupling curves for the spin relaxation of dense alkali-metal vapors prove that much of the relaxation is due to the spin-axis interaction in triplet dimers. Initial estimates of the spin-axis coupling coefficients for the dimers (likely accurate to a factor of 2) are $|\ensuremath{\lambda}|/h\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}290\mathrm{MHz}$ for Rb; $2500\mathrm{MHz}$ for Cs.

Brian T. Saam

Iannis K. Kominis

Spin noise sets fundamental limits to the precision of measurements using spin-polarized atomic vapors, such as performed with sensitive atomic magnetometers. Spin squeezing offers the possibility to extend the measurement precision beyond the standard quantum limit of uncorrelated atoms. Contrary to the current understanding, we show that even in the presence of spin relaxation, spin squeezing can lead to a significant reduction of spin noise, and hence an increase in magnetometric sensitivity, for a long measurement time. This is the case when correlated spin relaxation due to binary alkali-atom collisions dominates independently acting decoherence processes.

W. Franzen