Recent Progress in Optical Pumping

Brian Patton, Kiyoshi Ishikawa, Yuan‐Yu Jau +1 more

Amina Zghiche, K. P. Coulter, Roy J. Holt +6 more

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%.

Robert A. Bernheim, Ernst K. Franke

S. J. Ingleby, D. Hunter, Erling Riis

The development of optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) capable of operating in fields up to and beyond Earth's field has been accelerated in recent years by advances in the micro-fabrication of components, such as alkali-vapour cells and chip-scale lasers, and the application of spin-exchange relaxation suppression techniques, such as light-narrowing. Using these techniques, OPMs can be built for highly-accurate scalar geo-magnetometry. Sub-picotesla sensitivity can be achieved in compact packages, and commercialisation of these technologies is progressing globally. We review the underlying principles for OPM operation, including optimisation of microfabricated alkali vapour cells, and summarise the current state-of-the-art in their application.

Noriaki Tsukada

Wolfgang Maichen, Eugeny Korsunsky, Laurentius Windholz