Optical pumping of helium-3 with a frequency electromodulated laser

M. Elbel , C. Larat , P.J. Nacher , M. Leduc

We have operated an electrooptical modulator to generate sidebands to the laser used for optical pumping of a helium-3 gas. Spreading the laser power over the Doppler absorption profile of the metastable helium atoms can enhance the efficiency of the optical pumping process. This improvement is discussed in terms of velocity changing collisions and compared to the result of a velocity selective optical pumping experiment.

Mots clés: atomic metastable states; Doppler effect; helium neutral atoms; laser beam effects; optical pumping

Domaines: Articles anciens

M. Elbel, C. Larat, P.J. Nacher, M. Leduc. Optical pumping of helium-3 with a frequency electromodulated laser. Journal de Physique, 1990, 51 (1), pp.39-46. ⟨10.1051/jphys:0199000510103900⟩. ⟨jpa-00212351⟩