Nuclear polarization through optical pumping of gaseous 3He below 1 K

M. E. Himbert (1) , V. Lefevre-Seguin (1) , P.J. Nacher (1) , J. Dupont-Roc (1) , M. Leduc (1) , F. Laloë (1)

1 LSH-ENS - Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Hertzienne de l'ENS

We have extended to temperatures below 1 K the optical pumping technique for polarizing the nuclei pf ground state 3He atoms in the gas phase. A superfluid 4He film covering the surface of the pyrex cell protected the 3He atoms from the rapid depolarization processes that would be experienced in the presence of bare pyrex walls. Relatively long relaxation times of order 103 s were observed at temperatures down to 500 mK, the lowest temperature accessible with the present apparatus.

Mots clés: helium atoms; optical pumping; nuclear polarisation; gaseous sup 3 He; ground state sup 3 He atoms; superfluid sup 4 He film; pyrex cell; depolarization processes; relaxation times

Domaines: Articles anciens; Physique Atomique [physics.atom-ph]

M. E. Himbert, V. Lefevre-Seguin, P.J. Nacher, J. Dupont-Roc, M. Leduc, et al.. Nuclear polarization through optical pumping of gaseous 3He below 1 K. Journal de Physique Lettres, 1983, 44 (13), pp.523-529. ⟨10.1051/jphyslet:019830044013052300⟩. ⟨jpa-00232226⟩