Quantum optics with noble-gas spins

S. Olivares

B. C. Grover

Enhanced noble-gas NMR signals are observed in mixed noble-gas-rubidium samples by monitoring spin polarization of the optically pumped rubidium ensemble mechanized as a magnetometer. These signals are believed to arise through electron exchange enhancement of the contact hyperfine interaction during noble-gas-rubidium binary collisions. Polarization of the noble-gas magnetization is obtained through spin exchange with the rubidium ensemble.

M. Ducloy, Daniel Bloch

Thad G Walker, W. Happer

Spin-exchange optical pumping of mixtures of alkali-metal vapors and noble gases can be used to efficiently polarize the nuclei of the noble-gas atoms. Liters of noble gases at standard temperature and pressure and with nuclear spin polarizations of several tens of percent are now used in many applications. The authors describe the basic phenomena that govern the spin-exchange process and review the physics of angular momentum transfer and loss in optical pumping and spin-exchange collisions.

Or Katz, Roy Shaham, Ofer Firstenberg

Nuclear spins of noble gases feature extremely long coherence times but are inaccessible to optical photons. Here, we realize a coherent interface between light and noble-gas spins that is mediated by alkali atoms. We demonstrate the optical excitation of the noble-gas spins and observe the coherent back action on the light in the form of high-contrast two-photon spectra. We report on a record two-photon linewidth of 5 ± 0.7 mHz above room temperature, corresponding to a 1-min coherence time. This experiment provides a demonstration of coherent bidirectional coupling between light and noble-gas spins, rendering their long-lived spin coherence accessible for manipulations in the optical domain.

Yiwen Chu, Emre Togan, Mikhail D. Lukin