0000000001012824
AUTHOR
Geneviève Tastevin
Fundamentals of metastability exchange optical pumping in helium
21 pages; International audience; Advances in metastability exchange optical pumping (MEOP) at high laser powers, but also at high gas pressures and high magnetic field strengths, has provided strong motivation for revisiting the understanding of the limitations of this powerful technique. A comprehensive model has been developped for improved description of the combined effects of OP, ME, and relaxation, and of detailed MEOP features observed over the broad range of operating conditions. A brief description is provided, with illustrative comparisons of computed and experimental results. This improved tool is used to explain the excellent photon efficiency of OP obtained at all field streng…
An accurate optical technique for measuring the nuclear polarisation of 3He gas
12 pages; International audience; In the metastability exchange optical pumping cells of our on-site production unit and of our other experimental set-ups, we use a light absorption technique to measure the 3He nuclear polarisation. It involves weak probe beams at 1083 nm, that are either perpendicular or parallel to the magnetic field and cell axis, with suitable light polarisations. When metastability exchange collisions control the populations of the sublevels in the 23S state, absolute values of the 3He ground state nuclear polarisation are directly inferred from the ratio of the absorption rates measured for these probe beams. Our report focuses on the transverse detection scheme for w…