Dresden 2011 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 4: Ultra-cold atoms, ions and BEC I
Q 4.5: Talk
Monday, March 14, 2011, 11:30–11:45, BAR 106
A fundamental limit to spin-exchange optical pumping of 3He nuclei — •H.R. Sadeghpour, T.V. Tscherbul, P. Zhang, and A. Dalgarno — ITAMP, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, Cambridge, MA 02138
The existence of a fundamental limit to the efficiency of spin-exchange optical pumping of 3He nuclei by collisions with spin-polarized alkali-metal atoms is established. Using accurate ab initio calculations of molecular interactions and scattering properties, requiring no adjustable parameters, it is demonstrated that attainable polarization of 3He nuclei by spin-exchange collisions with K atoms is limited by the anisotropic hyperfine interaction. The theory is specifically applied to the spin-exchange between potassium and 3He. In a complementary calculation, it is suggested that it may be possible to overcome this limit by using atomic silver (Ag) as a collision partner in spin-exchange optical pumping experiments.