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

Atoms

On Producing Long-Lived Spin Polarized Metastable Atoms—Feasibility of Storing Electric Energy

Horst Schmidt-Böcking, Gernot Gruber

Published Jul 18, 2022• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe a method of producing long-lived multiply excited spin polarized atoms or ions, the decay of which is strongly delayed or even blocked by intra-ionic magnetic stabilization. Special configurations with huge internal magnetic fields capture only spin polarized electrons in collisions with spin aligned atomic hydrogen gas targets. It is expected that the spin aligned configuration yields an extremely high internal magnetic field which will effectively block spin flip transitions. By this the lifetime of inner shell vacancies is expected to strongly increase.

DOI
10.3390/atoms10030076

Related papers

Spin-polarized atomic hydrogen: A magnetic gas (invited)

Isaac F. Silvera, Jook T. M. Walraven

Atomic hydrogen (H) has recently been created in a long-lived state referred to as spin-polarized atomic hydrogen (H↓). A moderate density gas (n≃1017 atoms/ cc) has been produced at temperatures T≃400 mK. H↓ is predicted to be the only atomic substance that remains gaseous to T = 0 K; current experiments are consistent with this picture. Since the H↓ atoms behave as composite bosons the gas is expected to have a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and related superfluidity at a sufficiently high density or low temperature. H↓ is expected to display spectacular static and dynamic properties. Since the gas is polarized, the dominant electronic magnetization, M⃗e, is proportional to the atomic density. In an inhomogeneous magnetic field M⃗e will also be highly inhomogeneous. BEC will be spatially localized and the static M⃗e should be an identifying feature of this state. The low-lying excitation spectrum should not only feature electronic and nuclear spin-transitions, but should also have magnetic translational modes of the gas. The experimental technique for stabilization of H↓ as well as many of the predicted magnetic properties are discussed.

Journal of Applied Physics•Mar 1, 1981•17 citations

Auto-Ionizing States in the Alkali Atoms with Microsecond Lifetimes

P. D. Feldman, Robert Novick

Discrete atomic energy levels lying between the first and second ionization potentials which are metastable against both auto-ionization and radiative decay have been observed in the alkali elements. These levels arise from the excitation of an electron from the outermost closed shell of the atom and have characteristic lifetimes in the microsecond region. A beam of metastable alkali atoms is produced by electron bombardment of neutral ground-state atoms and is detected by collecting the charged products of the decay. Stern-Gerlach magnetic-deflection experiments have been performed to show unambiguously that the signals arise from paramagnetic atoms and not from possible stray-photon effects in the apparatus. The excitation energies, electron-bombardment production cross sections, natural lifetimes, and the tentative spectroscopic assignments of these atoms are listed below: The energy and lifetime of the metastable lithium atom are in good agreement with the available theoretical estimates. The metastable states in the heavier alkali atoms are classified in relation to the known ${\mathrm{I}}^{b}$ spectral terms. Magnetic and electric fields have been found to be effective in reducing the lifetime of the metastable atoms. The Zeeman quenching is discussed in a separate paper. The Stark quenching rate has been found to be proportional to the square of the electric field and to increase rapidly with atomic number $Z$. It is suggested that the Stark quenching results from a second-order interaction which involves the product of the electric field and the spin-orbit or other magnetic operators.

Physical Review•Aug 5, 1967•170 citations

THEORETICAL ISSUES CONCERNING THE STABILITY OF ELECTRON SPIN-POLARIZED HYDROGEN

W. C. Stwalley, Yea-Hwang Uang, R. F. Ferrante +1 more

Hydrogen atoms with their electron spin polarized in a strong magnetic field ("spinaligned hydrogen" ; symbolized H+) should remain a metastable gaseous quantum fluid even at absolute zero. However, there are many possible ways of destroying this metastability. At high density ≥ 1021/cm3) Berlinsky et al. have suggested that a coherent spin-wave destruction mechanism prevents stability. At lower densities (high enough for Bose-Einstein condensation, however), gas phase and surface recombination mechanisms should be of primary concern. One critical question is essentially the explosion limit for H+., i.e. at what density will a single electronic spin flip event trigger massive recombination, heating and destruction of the sample (perhaps a good "detector" for highly forbidden processes) ? The second critical question is what events will trigger such explosions assuming one is above the limit ? We shall present our current understanding of these two critical questions (including high accuracy two-body collision calculations) and their implications in experimental design (e.g. field inhomogeneity effects, helium coating of surfaces, removal of deuterium impurities, etc.).

Le Journal de Physique Colloques•Jul 1, 1980•4 citations

X-ray laser implementation by means of a strong source of high-spin metastable atoms

J. S. Helman, Carl Rau, Carlos F. Bunge

High-spin metastable atomic beams of high density and extremely small divergence can be produced by electron capture during grazing-angle scattering of ion beams at ferromagnetic surfaces. This can be used to generate a long-lived reservoir of $\mathrm{Li} 1s2s2p ^{4}P_{\frac{5}{2}}^{0}$ with enough density of metastables so that after laser-induced transfer to $\mathrm{Li} 1s2{p}^{2}^{2}P$ strong lasing at 207 \AA{} should occur. This novel technique can also be used to produce a variety of other metastables known as potential candidates for lasing at shorter wavelengths.

Physical Review A•Jan 1, 1983•5 citations

Spin-polarized atomic hydrogen in very strong magnetic fields

Henk T. C. Stoof, L.P.H. de Goey, BOUDEWIJN J. VERHAAR +1 more

We calculate the effective rate constant for three-body dipolar recombination of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen in conditions of high density and very high magnetic field strengths (beyond the <10-T range of previous calculations). We find that the decay of the gas sample is not sufficiently suppressed at magnetic fields available in the forseeable future.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Dec 1, 1988•6 citations

Spin-polarized atomic hydrogen in very strong magnetic fields

Hendricus Theodorus Christiaan Stoof, L. P. H. Degoey, BOUDEWIJN J. VERHAAR +1 more

We calculate the effective rate constant for three-body dipolar recombination of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen in conditions of high density and very high magnetic field strengths (beyond the <10-T range of previous calculations). We find that the decay of the gas sample is not sufficiently suppressed at magnetic fields available in the forseeable future.

•Jan 1, 1989•0 citations
We describe a method of producing long-lived multiply excited spin polarized atoms or ions, the decay of which is strongly delayed or even blocked by intra-ionic magnetic stabilization. Special configurations with huge internal magnetic fields capture only spin polarized electrons in collisions with spin aligned atomic hydrogen gas targets. It is expected that the spin aligned configuration yields an extremely high internal magnetic field which will effectively block spin flip transitions. By this the lifetime of inner shell vacancies is expected to strongly increase.
Atomic hydrogen (H) has recently been created in a long-lived state referred to as spin-polarized atomic hydrogen (H↓). A moderate density gas (n≃1017 atoms/ cc) has been produced at temperatures T≃400 mK. H↓ is predicted to be the only atomic substance that remains gaseous to T = 0 K; current experiments are consistent with this picture. Since the H↓ atoms behave as composite bosons the gas is expected to have a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) and related superfluidity at a sufficiently high density or low temperature. H↓ is expected to display spectacular static and dynamic properties. Since the gas is polarized, the dominant electronic magnetization, M⃗e, is proportional to the atomic density. In an inhomogeneous magnetic field M⃗e will also be highly inhomogeneous. BEC will be spatially localized and the static M⃗e should be an identifying feature of this state. The low-lying excitation spectrum should not only feature electronic and nuclear spin-transitions, but should also have magnetic translational modes of the gas. The experimental technique for stabilization of H↓ as well as many of the predicted magnetic properties are discussed.
Discrete atomic energy levels lying between the first and second ionization potentials which are metastable against both auto-ionization and radiative decay have been observed in the alkali elements. These levels arise from the excitation of an electron from the outermost closed shell of the atom and have characteristic lifetimes in the microsecond region. A beam of metastable alkali atoms is produced by electron bombardment of neutral ground-state atoms and is detected by collecting the charged products of the decay. Stern-Gerlach magnetic-deflection experiments have been performed to show unambiguously that the signals arise from paramagnetic atoms and not from possible stray-photon effects in the apparatus. The excitation energies, electron-bombardment production cross sections, natural lifetimes, and the tentative spectroscopic assignments of these atoms are listed below: The energy and lifetime of the metastable lithium atom are in good agreement with the available theoretical estimates. The metastable states in the heavier alkali atoms are classified in relation to the known Ib{\mathrm{I}}^{b}Ib spectral terms. Magnetic and electric fields have been found to be effective in reducing the lifetime of the metastable atoms. The Zeeman quenching is discussed in a separate paper. The Stark quenching rate has been found to be proportional to the square of the electric field and to increase rapidly with atomic number ZZZ. It is suggested that the Stark quenching results from a second-order interaction which involves the product of the electric field and the spin-orbit or other magnetic operators.
Hydrogen atoms with their electron spin polarized in a strong magnetic field ("spinaligned hydrogen" ; symbolized H+) should remain a metastable gaseous quantum fluid even at absolute zero. However, there are many possible ways of destroying this metastability. At high density ≥ 1021/cm3) Berlinsky et al. have suggested that a coherent spin-wave destruction mechanism prevents stability. At lower densities (high enough for Bose-Einstein condensation, however), gas phase and surface recombination mechanisms should be of primary concern. One critical question is essentially the explosion limit for H+., i.e. at what density will a single electronic spin flip event trigger massive recombination, heating and destruction of the sample (perhaps a good "detector" for highly forbidden processes) ? The second critical question is what events will trigger such explosions assuming one is above the limit ? We shall present our current understanding of these two critical questions (including high accuracy two-body collision calculations) and their implications in experimental design (e.g. field inhomogeneity effects, helium coating of surfaces, removal of deuterium impurities, etc.).
High-spin metastable atomic beams of high density and extremely small divergence can be produced by electron capture during grazing-angle scattering of ion beams at ferromagnetic surfaces. This can be used to generate a long-lived reservoir of Li1s2s2p4P520\mathrm{Li} 1s2s2p ^{4}P_{\frac{5}{2}}^{0}Li1s2s2p4P25​0​ with enough density of metastables so that after laser-induced transfer to $\mathrm{Li} 1s2{p}^{2}^{2}P$ strong lasing at 207 \AA{} should occur. This novel technique can also be used to produce a variety of other metastables known as potential candidates for lasing at shorter wavelengths.