Alignment and orientation of charge exchange excitation with polarized projectiles

The alignment and orientation of hydrogenlike excited atoms produced by electron capture in collisions of spin polarized bare atomic nuclei with atomic targets is described in terms of Stokes parameters. TheH(2p)^* excited state formed by spin polarized protons making charge exchange collisions on atomic targets is dealt with extensively for the purpose of illustration. The linear polarization and circular polarization of resulting Lyman-α when polarized protons make electron capture collision on atomic hydrogen target are plotted to compare observable aspects of different theories of electron capture.     

Collisions of alkali K and Rb atoms in ground state: Modification of interaction potentials

The interaction of alkali K and Rb atoms that reside in the ground state is considered in the range of collision energies E = 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻² au. The singlet (X ¹Σ⁺) and triplet (a ³Σ⁺) interaction potentials available in the literature are analyzed and modified. For the KRb dimer in the range of interatomic distances 15–21a ₀, we chose analytical representations of the singlet and triplet potentials that more accurately describe the interaction of alkali Rb and K atoms in the ground state. Complex cross sections of the spin exchange are calculated for the first time that permit one to calculate the processes of polarization transfer and relaxation times, as well as shifts in the magnetic resonance frequencies caused by K-Rb spin exchange collisions.     

Chaotic spin exchange: Is the spin non-flip rate observable?

If spin exchange is of the Poisson nature, that is, if the time distribution of collisions obeys an exponential distribution functionand the collision process is random, the muon spin depolarization is determined only by the spin flip rate regardless of the spin non-flip rate. In this work, spin exchange is discussed in the case of chaotic spin exchange, where the distribution of collision time sequences, generated by a deterministic equation, is exponential but not random (deterministic chaos). Even though this process has the same time distribution as a Poisson process, the muon polarization is affected by the spin non-flip rate. Having an exponential time distribution function is not a sufficient condition for the non-observation of the spin non-flip rate and it is essential that the process is also random.     

A theoretical study of low-energy position diffraction

In an exploratory study of the diffraction of slow positrons from atoms and single-crystal surfaces, theoretical intensity and spin polarization results from a W crystal-atom and a W(001) surface are compared to corresponding electron diffraction results obtained with and without an exchange potential. In contrast to e^- diffraction, significant spin polarization effects are found for e⁺ only at energies above about 100 eV. The computing time for e⁺ is about half of the time required for e^-.     

Experimental determination of the rate constant for spin exchange in collisions of polarized metastable helium atoms with ground-state cesium atoms

The rate constant for spin exchange in a system consisting of a metastable helium atom and an alkali-metal atom is determined. An experiment on optical orientation of atoms established that the rate constant for spin exchange in a collision of a metastable 2³ S ₁ helium atom with a cesium atom in the 6² S _1/2 ground state equals (2.8±0.8)×10⁻⁹ cm³ s⁻¹. The rate constant for chemoionization of cesium atoms by metastable helium atoms was determined at the same time to be (1.0±0.3)×10⁹ cm³s⁻¹. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 3, 145–148 (10 August 1997)     

Collective effects in spin-polarized Boltzmann gases

As a result of an investigation of the real collision integral for paramagnetic atoms, we have obtained a criterion for propagation of spin waves in a spin-polarized Boltzmann gas. The main condition for propagation of weakly damped spin waves is a high anisotropy of the atomic scattering amplitude with predominance of the forward scattering. This condition is different from those suggested in earlier publications. Our results indicate that the range of paramagnetic gases where weakly damped spin waves can propagate at the room temperature is considerably wider than it was assumed previously. One example is vapors of alkali metals (Na, Cs, and Rb), where the degree of electron spin polarization can be very high. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 865–876 (March 1999)     

Determination of the polarization of deuterium atoms following optical orientation

The redistribution of the electronic polarization in deuterium atoms is analyzed theoretically and the various polarization moments are shown to influence the magnetic resonance signal of deuterium. The analysis gives expressions that relate the amplitudes of the magnetic resonance signals for various Zeemann sublevels of the D atom to the electronic and nuclear polarizations of these atoms and their nuclear alignment. Experimental data on the optical orientation and spin exchange in a D-Cs mixture are used to determine the electronic and nuclear orientation and nuclear alignment of the D atoms, which are found to be 〈S _z〉=0.1, 〈I _z〉=0.27, and 〈Q _zz=0.027. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 22–26 (January 1997)     

Complex cross sections of spin exchange in collisions of sodium and potassium atoms in the ground state

Complex cross sections of the spin exchange are calculated for the first time for interacting Na and K atoms based on the data on the singlet (X ¹Σ⁺) and triplet (a ³Σ⁺) potentials that describe the interaction of these alkali-metal atoms in the ground state. The obtained cross sections allow one to theoretically consider the polarization transfer processes and calculate the relaxation times and the magnetic resonance frequency shifts caused by Na-K spin-exchange collisions.     

Production of a highly polarized sodium atomic beam

Two experimental techniques for preparing atoms in selected states were combined in order to obtain a highly polarized sodium beam: Firstly state selection by an inhomogeneous magnetic field and secondly optical pumping with laser light. This results in a dominating population of the 3s ² S _1/2 ground state levelF=2M _F=+2 (or alternativelyF=2M _F=−2) corresponding to high electron as well as nuclear spin polarization. Polarization values of 0.85±0.05 were easily obtained. The sign of the polarization can be reversed by changing the light polarization. The method can also be applied to other atoms. In addition, it is demonstrated that the optical pumping process allows a determination of the spin-selectivity of hexapole magnets.     

Passive magnetic shielded spin polarized electron source with optical electron polarimeter

A new GaAs(100) spin polarized electron source with an optical polarimeter, which is employed in the field of polarized electron and gas atom collision, is presented in detail. The apparatus is passive-magnetic-shielded by a box and a cylinder made of nickel--iron--molybdenum soft magnetic alloy without Helmholtz coil arrangement. And a uniformly distributed residual magnetic field of less than 5×10^-7,T is obtained near the collision area. The spin polarized electron beam is transmitted and focused onto collision point from photocathode by a set of electron optics with more than 25% transmission 95cm distance through an 1mm diameter aperture. Construction and operation of the apparatus, such as vacuum and magnetic shielding system, photocathode, laser optics, electron optics and polarimeter are discussed. The polarization of the spin polarized electron beam is determined to be 30.8\pm3.5% measured with a He optical polarimeter.     

Observing spin polarization of individual magnetic adatoms

We have used spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy to observe the spin polarization state of individual Fe and Cr atoms adsorbed onto Co nanoislands. These magnetic adatoms exhibit stationary out-of-plane spin polarization, but have opposite sign of the exchange coupling between electron states of the adatom and the Co island surface state: Fe adatoms exhibit parallel spin polarization to the Co surface state while Cr adatoms exhibit antiparallel spin polarization. First-principles calculations predict ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic alignment of the spin moment for individual Fe and Cr adatoms on a Co film, respectively, implying negative spin polarization for Fe and Cr adatoms over the energy range of the Co surface state.     

Collisions of alkali-metal atoms Cs and Rb in the ground state. Spin exchange cross sections

Collisions of alkali-metal atoms ¹³³Cs and ⁸⁵Rb in the ground state are considered in the energy interval of 10^–4–10^–2 au. Complex cross sections of the spin exchange, which allow one to calculate the processes of polarization transfer and the relaxation times, as well as the magnetic resonance frequency shifts caused by spin exchange Cs–Rb collisions, are obtained.     

Investigation of Heusler alloy-semiconductor interfaces

Using the electron density functional theory, the electronic structure and magnetic properties of possible contacts on the (001) interface between XYZ and X ₂ YZ Heusler alloys (NiMnSb, Co₂ MnSi) and III–V semiconductors (InP, GaAs) are studied. It is demonstrated that, in both cases, the high degree of spin polarization is achieved in Ni/P(As) or Co/As contacts. The influence of structure defects located on the surface and interfaces on the spin polarization at the Fermi level is studied. The nature of surface states at the Heusler alloy-semiconductor interface and electron factors that favor preservation or loss of the half-metallic behavior in the contacts are analyzed. Calculations of the local magnetic moments show that the magnetic properties of atoms in the contact are not changed significantly at the interface because of the partial compensation of their coordination by atoms of the semiconductor. The spin polarization can be increased by doping of the X element sublattice.     

Influence of local spin polarization to the Kondo effect

We use the spin non-degenerate single impurity Anderson model to investigate the influence of the local spin polarization to the Kondo effect. By using the Schrieffer-Wolff transformation, we obtain a generalized s-d exchange Hamiltonian, which describes the interaction between a polarized local spin and conduction electrons. In this case, the singlet is no longer an eigenstate as shown by variational calculations where the splitting of the local energy Δ = ɛ _d↑ − ɛ _d↓ can be arbitrarily small. The local spin polarization generates the instability of the singlet ground state of the S = 1/2 s-d exchange model.      

Initial results utilizing optical pumping with a laser to produce spin-polarized hydrogen

Spin-polarized hydrogen was produced by laser optical pumping of rubidium and subsequent spin exchange with hydrogen atoms created by an rf discharge. Initial experiments produced approximately 10¹⁴ hydrogen atoms with a polarization of about 64%. Utilization of a suitable wall coating will allow significant improvement in these results.     

Observation of oriented 23 S 1 helium atoms in a sodium-helium plasma irradiated by polarization-modulated laser radiation

An experiment on the observation of spin polarization of metastable helium atoms interacting with optically oriented sodium atoms under continuous rf discharge conditions is described. Laser radiation with alternating-sign circular polarization, tuned to the resonance excitation of the 3² S _1/2–3² P _1/2 transition in Na atoms, is used as the source for optical pumping of ground-state sodium atoms. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 5, 385–387 (10 March 1997)     

Lower hybrid wave instability in a spin‐polarized degenerate plasma

Lower hybrid (LH) wave instability excited due to an electron beam in a spin‐polarized degenerate plasma is studied. Using the Separate Spin Evolution quantum hydrodynamic model, incorporating Coulomb exchange interaction and Bohm potential, the general dispersion relation of nearly perpendicular propagating electrostatic waves is derived. Furthermore, in the low‐frequency limit, the dispersion of LH wave is obtained. It is found that the electron spin polarization and beam streaming speed reduce the growth rate as well as the k‐domain. However, the beam density and the propagation angle enhance both the growth rate and k‐domain of LH instability. In addition, the contribution of the Bohm potential term increases the intensity of the growth rate. All these effects may have a strong bearing on the wave and instability phenomena in spin‐polarized plasmas.     

Effects of the reduction of the dimension of a system upon spin ordering in a degenerate electron gas

Collective effects of spin ordering in a quasi-one-dimensional degenerate electron gas are discussed. The total energy of the quasi-one-dimensional system, as well as the exchange contribution per particle, has been calculated by the Hartree-Fock method. It has been shown that spontaneous polarization can be observed in the system when a universal parameter related to the density of the particles satisfies the inequality r _s ≥ 0.476. A comparative analysis of one-, two-, and three-dimensional systems has been performed. A general expression has been obtained for the total energy per particle as a function of the degree of polarization and dimension of the system. According to this expression, the possibility of spontaneous polarization in the system is closely correlated with the dimension of the system.