Interrelationship between the polarization moments of different parity upon optical pumping of atoms under magnetic resonance conditions: III. Comparison of theory with experiment

The optical pumping of Cs atoms with light of the D ₁ line under magnetic resonance conditions is numerically calculated. This calculation is done to check the suggestion that an unexpectedly strong influence of the polarization of the pumping light on the resonance signals of transverse alignment, which we observed experimentally, is caused by the coupling between orientation and alignment by means of the magnetic field and/or the pumping light. This suggestion has been confirmed: upon circularly polarized pumping, the shape of the signal line of transverse alignment proved to be similar, as well as in the experiment, to the shape of the signal line of transverse orientation and was sharply different from the shape of the line of alignment observed upon linearly polarized pumping. For metastable 2³ S ₁ ⁴He atoms, in accordance with the experimental data, the calculated shape of the signal line of transverse alignment is found to be independent of the polarization of the pumping light. The calculations also confirm the possibility of a reverse effect: the influence of alignment on orientation, which manifests itself in the occurrence of orientation upon pumping with unpolarized light under magnetic resonance conditions. For Cs atoms exposed to a field of ～0.6 Oe, the largest contribution to this effect is yielded by the field coupling of orientation and alignment, whereas, for metastable 2³ S ₁ ⁴He atoms, the largest contribution is made by the light coupling of these polarization moments.     

Interrelationship between the polarization moments of different parity upon optical pumping of atoms under magnetic resonance conditions: II. Theory

The mutual coupling between the polarization moments with ranks of different parity is theoretically considered. The manifestation of this mutual coupling has been revealed previously in experiments on magnetic resonance of optically oriented cesium atoms. The two well-known types of the coupling between the polarization moments are considered: the field coupling of these moments that occur due to the breaking of the hyperfine coupling between the electronic and nuclear moments of the alkali atom by the magnetic field and the light coupling of the moments due to the absorption of the pumping light by polarized atoms. The experimentally observed similarity in the shape of resonance signals of alignment and orientation upon circularly polarized pumping can be explained by the fact that, for alkali atoms, the generation of alignment by light at the wavelength of the D ₁ line is of low efficiency. Therefore, alignment arises mainly from orientation by means of either the field or the light coupling of polarization moments. For metastable 2³ S ₁ ⁴He atoms, no influence of the orientation on the alignment was observed because, in these atoms, the field coupling between the polarization moments is absent and the light coupling is not displayed because the generation of alignment by the circularly polarized pumping light is more efficient than the creation of alignment from orientation by means of light coupling of polarization moments.     

Influence of atomic alignment on crossover signals in saturation spectroscopy

The crossover resonance between the atomic transitions² S _1/2(F=2)→² P _1/2(F′=1, 2), observed in the saturation spectrum of sodium, was found to be sensitive to the atomic orientation of the ground state, produced by velocity selective optical pumping. For zero magnetic field and the same linear polarization of saturating and probing beam, a negative signal was recorded for the crossover, corresponding to an increase in absorption of the probing beam. Application of a sufficiently strong magnetic field perpendicular to the polarization vector causes the destruction of the alignment, leading to a change in sign for the crossover intensity, i.e., to an enhanced transmission of the probing beam. It was shown experimentally that an increase in the atomic transit time has the same effect. Using optical pumping theory all qualitative features could be accounted for.     

Interrelationship between the polarization moments of different parity upon optical pumping of atoms under the magnetic resonance conditions: I. Experiment on the <Superscript>133</Superscript>Cs and <Superscript>4</Superscript>He atoms

In an experiment with an optical pumping of ¹³³Cs atoms in the 6² S _1/2 ground state, the line shape of the D ^2f magnetic resonance signal for the transverse alignment component oscillating at a double frequency f of a radio-frequency (RF) magnetic field is found to strongly depend on the polarization of pumping radiation. On passage from a linearly polarized pumping light to a circularly polarized (CP) light with a sufficiently strong RF field the ordinary three-peak line with the highest central peak transforms into a two-peak line with a minimum at the center, so that the D ^2f signal line resembles the M ^f signal line of a transverse orientation oscillating at the RF field frequency f. This suggests that the orientation (the first-rank polarization moment (PM)) arising upon CP pumping affects the alignment (the second-rank PM); i.e., the PMs of Cs atoms with different parities of their ranks become coupled. No influence of the polarization of a pumping radiation on the line shape of the D ^2f signal is observed in a similar experiment with the ⁴He atoms in the 2³ S ₁ metastable state.     

Übertragung von Polarisation bei sensibilisierenden Stößen angeregter Natriumatome

The transfer of magnetic polarization from state 3p ² p _1/2 to state 3p ² p _3/2 sensitizing collisions of sodium atoms with noble gas atoms has been observed. Sodium atoms were excited by absorption ofD ₁σ⁺-quanta. When buffer gas was added to the sodium vapour, unequal amounts ofD ₂σ⁺ andD ₂σ^? quanta could be detected in the fluorescent light. The difference of the amounts turned out to be proportional to the polarization transferred. The measurement of this difference as a function of the buffer gas pressure provided a method of determining the cross-sections of the polarization transfer. Values of the cross-sections are 22, 24, 26, 20, 23 Ų for the buffer gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, respectively. A preliminary investigation shows that the sign of the polarization transferred is reversed when the vapour is exposed to a strong magnetic field acting along the incident light beam.     

Contribution of hexadecapole alignment to the polarization of quadrupole emission under laser excitation conditions

The linear polarization of quadrupole emission by the J=2-J ₀=0 transition under conditions of laser excitation in a gas medium is studied. Cases of excitation through dipole and quadrupole absorption of monochromatic laser radiation are considered. Taking into account the anisotropy of collisional relaxation, the contributions of polarization moments of the second and fourth ranks, i.e., those with usual and hexadecapole alignments, to the signal of linear polarization of quadrupole emission are calculated. The dependence of this signal on the laser frequency, the density of the gas medium, and the angles determining the orientation of the system of axes of observation of light polarization relative to a laser ray is studied. The numerical calculations of contributions of usual and hexadecapole alignment to the signal of linear polarization are made for the magnetic quadrupole transition J=2-J ₀=0 between the states 2p ⁵(² P ₁ ^2/0 )3p′[3/2]₂ and 2p ⁵(² P ₁ ^2/0 )3s 3s′[1/2]⁰ of neon atoms in the xenon atmosphere.     

Doppler spectroscopy of arbitrarily polarized light in rubidium

We present an experimental and theoretical study of the transmission of an arbitrarily polarized laser beam for a Doppler broadened rubidium vapor cell. As the polarization of the probe beam was varied from linear to circular, the transmission for the transitions F_g = 3 → F_e = 2, 3, 4 of the D₂ line of ⁸⁵Rb atoms was measured and compared with calculated results. In the calculation, the time-dependent absorption coefficient, calculated numerically from the density-matrix equation, was averaged over the velocity distribution and various transit time crossing the laser beam. The final transmission was obtained by considering the Gaussian profile of the laser beam. We found good agreement between experimental and calculated results.     

Polarization effects in ionizing thermal energy collisions of laser-excited Ne(3p 3 D 3) atoms with Ar atoms

Using transverse and longitudinal excitation of a collimated metastable Ne(3s ³ P _2.0) beam with average velocities of 500, 800, and 1,200 m/s by means of a single mode dye laser on the²⁰Ne(3s ³ P ₂→3p ³ D ₃) transition, we have investigated ionizing collisions of polarized Ne(3s ³ P ₂) and Ne(3p ³ D ₃) atoms with Ar atoms. The product electrons were energy analyzed with high resolution (9–25 meV). The resulting Ne(3p ³ D ₃) electron spectra exhibit a strong dependence on the three types of laser polarization (π _∥,π_⊥, σ_?), chosen to prepare the excited atoms. In contrast, the Ne(3s ³ P ₂) spectra are only weakly dependent on polarization. Detailed model calculations have been carried out for the Ne(3p)+Ar cross sections, using computed excited-state potential curves, semi-empirical ionic potentials, and local autoionization width functions. A semiclassical closecoupling method is applied to describe the evolution of the polarized collision system in the coupled entrance channels. It is found that a single autoionization widthΓ(R) is not sufficient to describe the measured polarization effects properly. The dependence ofΓ on the initial and final state is expressed in terms of few reduced electronic transition matrix elements, which are determined by comparison of measured and calculated total cross sections and Ar⁺(² P _3/2)/Ar⁺(² P _1/2) branching ratios for ionizing collisions of the various Ne(3pJ=1,2,3) multiplet states with Ar. The matrix elements corresponding to Ar(3pσ)→Ne(2pσ) electron transfer during autoionization are found to dominate, but Ar(3pπ)→Ne(2pπ) transfer has also to be included. The resulting calculated electron spectra reproduce the measured polarization effects in a semi-quantitative way.     

β-Ray angular distribution from purely nuclear spin aligned 20F

The alignment correlation term in the β-ray angular distribution from purely nuclear spin aligned ²⁰F has been measured to test the G-parity conservation law which is one of the fundamental symmetries in the weak nucleon current. We utilized the hyperfine interaction of ²⁰F in an MgF₂ single crystal and successfully created the pure alignment from the polarization by means of the spin manipulation technique based on the β-NMR method.     

A change in the conductivity of sodium-helium plasma interacting with polarization-modulated laser radiation tuned to sodium D 1 line

A change in the conductivity of a sodium-helium plasma interacting with laser radiation tuned to the sodium 3² S _1/2?3² P _1/2 transition and having sign-changing polarization is experimentally observed. It is shown that this effect is caused by the processes of Penning ionization, spin exchange, and optical orientation of atoms in a gas-discharge plasma.     

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.     

Stoßausrichtung in Molekularstrahlen

Collision alignment has been found in a beam of thermal Gallium atoms of² P _3/2-state emerging from an oven through a channel being wide compared with mean free path inside the oven and narrow compared with that one outside. Alignment effect is ascribed to “loss impacts” in the channel and the difference in scattering cross section for states of different orientation having been the subject of a previous paper. Calculation of the effect in linear approximation is discussed together with experimental data.     

Two field nonlinear Faraday rotation in rubidium vapor in a Doppler-free geometry

Nonlinear Faraday rotation with counter-propagating light beams was investigated in a rubidium vapor cell. Observations across all hyperfine and crossover resonances of the D₂ line of ⁸⁷Rb atoms were made. Additionally, rotation spectra as a function of pump and probe intensity, pump polarization and external magnetic field strength were studied.The investigations were performed in a regime where the pump beam power was sufficiently low relative to the probe power to avoid polarization rotation due to pump-induced anisotropy. Our results are analyzed in the context of Bennett structures and coherent optical processes.     

Kontinuierlicher Absorptionsquerschnitt von Argon im Bogenplasma

Optical pumping on Cs¹³³ atoms was performed by means of a new transmission technique. The cesium vapor was pumped towards equilibrium by an intensive circulary polarizedD ₁ orD ₂ light beam. A weakD ₁ detecting beam was polarized alternately σ⁺, σ^? and allowed one to measure continuously amount and sign of the absorption difference between σ⁺ and σ^? light. The measured signals are proportional to the electron spin polarization. The new technique was used to investigate the influence of Cs buffer gas collisions on the pumping cycle and to measure the influence of radio frequency induced Zeeman transitions on the ground state polarization. In addition the variation of magnetic field and of pumping light intensity and polarization was studied. Some measurements demonstrate the high sensitivity of the applied method. The obtained qualitative results are discussed and further experiments are proposed.     

Studies of the atom-dimer polarization transfer

The polarization transfer between optically pumped alkali atoms and alkali molecules is studied, using the model introduced in a previous paper (Z. Physik A273, 9(1975)). It is shown that the atom-molecule-exchange reactionX+X ₂→X ₂+X is responsible for the nulear spin polarization observed in the alkali molecules, and that the recombination of the alkali atoms does not contribute to this polarization transfer.     

Longitudinal contribution to the alignment polarization of quarks produced in e+ e−-annihilation: an O(αs) effect

We calculate the longitudinal contribution to the alignment polarization P ^l of quarks produced in e ⁺ e ^? annihilation. In the Standard Model, the longitudinal alignment polarization vanishes at the Born term level and thus receives its first non-zero contribution from the O(α_s) tree graph process. We provide analytical and numerical results for the longitudinal alignment polarization of massless and massive quarks, in particular for the recently discovered top quark.     

Observation of the spin polarization of Cs atoms during optical orientation of metastable helium atoms in alkali-helium plasma

We are the first to experimentally observe a magnetic-resonance signal of 6² S _1/2 Cs atoms by absorption of light from a helium lamp that was used to optically orient metastable 2³ S ₁ He atoms. The amplitude of the cesium signal proved to be almost three orders of magnitude lower than the amplitude of the magnetic resonance of 2³ S ₁ He atoms. Particular features of the creation and observation of the collisional polarization of cesium under conditions of alkali-helium plasma have been discussed.     

Atomic beam measurement of the lifetime of the3 P 1 metastable states of Mg and Ca

The lifetime of the metastable level³ P ₁ of Mg and Ca have been measured in an atomic beam experiment. We excite the atoms to the³ P ₁ state by electron collisions and we measure the decay length of the light emitted by the beam. The velocity distribution of the atoms is also measured by a time-of-flight technique. The decay length and the velocity measurements are then combined to compute the required lifetimes. The results are (2.4±0.2)×10^?3 sec for Mg and (0.55±0.04)×10^?3 sec for Ca.     

Velocity dependence of the chemi-ionization of H2O and D2O on impact of 21S and 23S helium atoms

The velocity dependence for the ionization of H₂O and D₂O to form H₂O⁺ and D₂O⁺ in collisions with both 2³S and 2¹S metastable helium atoms has been measured in a crossed molecular beam apparatus using a mechanical velocity-selector on the metastable beam. The cross-sections are found to be proportional to the —n power of the relative collision energy, with n ? 0.4 for both metastable atoms in both gases. The branching ratios H₂O⁺/OH⁺ and D₂O⁺/OD⁺ were both found to be 4.3 for both metastable helium atoms, and to be independent of the relative collision energy.     

A molecular beam study of the adsorption and desorption of oxygen from a Pt(111) surface

The adsorption and desorption of O₂ on a Pt(111) surface have been studied using molecular beam/surface scattering techniques, in combination with AES and LEED for surface characterization. Dissociative adsorption occurs with an initial sticking probability which decreases from 0.06 at 300 K to 0.025 at 600 K. These results indicate that adsorption occurs through a weakly-held state, which is also supported by a diffuse fraction seen in the angular distribution of scattered O₂ flux. Predominately specular scattering, however, indicates that failure to stick is largely related to failure to accommodate in the molecular adsorption state. Thermal desorption results can be fit by a desorption rate constant with pre-exponential ν_d = 2.4 × 10^?2 cm² s^?1 and activation energy E_D which decreases from 51 to 42 kcal/mole^?1 with increasing coverage. A forward peaking of the angular distribution of desorbing O₂ flux suggests that part of the adsorbed oxygen atoms combine and are ejected from the surface without fully accomodating in the molecular adsorption state. A slight dependance of the dissociative sticking probability upon the angle of beam incidence further supports this contention.