10:30 AM–12:42 PM, Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Clark Hall - 108
Chair: Tom Gentile, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract ID: BAPS.2009.DAMOP.B4.1
10:30 AM–10:42 AM
Boyd Goodson
(Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Nicholas Whiting
(Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Panayiotis Nikolaou
(Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Neil Eschmann
(Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
Michael Barlow
(Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, University of Nottingham, UK)
The xenon nuclear spin polarization ($P_{Xe})$ achieved via alkali metal spin-exchange optical pumping (SE OP) is normally expected to be limited at high xenon cell densities because of decreased rubidium electron spin polarization ($P_{Rb})$ resulting from increased Rb/Xe collisions. Surprisingly high $P_{Xe}$ values (e.g., $\sim $55{\%}, $\sim $32{\%}, $\sim $23{\%}, and $\sim $11{\%} at 50, 300, 500, and 2000 torr Xe) were obtained with batch-mode OP and a $\sim $29 W VHG-narrowed laser by exploiting a sensitive and unexpected interdependence between the optimal cell temperature and the Xe partial pressure. The OP dynamics can be further investigated as a function of wavelength offset and optical power using frequency-narrowed lasers (with on-chip Bragg gratings or TEC-controlled VHGs) able to tune over the entire range of the Rb D$_{1}$ absorption profile independently of laser flux. These effects are studied using \textit{in situ} time-dependent nuclear polarimetry and optical $P_{Rb}$ measurements based on magnetic field-dependent transmission of the polarizing laser beam.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2009.DAMOP.B4.1