Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 68, Number 4, November 2004
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 480 - 486 | |
Section | Atomic and molecular physics | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2004-10237-y | |
Published online | 22 October 2004 |
High nuclear polarization of at low and high pressure by metastability exchange optical pumping at tesla
1
Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Ecole Normale Supérieure 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France (Laboratoire Kastler Brossel is a unité de recherche de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure et de l'Université Pierre et Marie Curie, associée au CNRS (UMR 8552).)
2
U2R2M, Université Paris-Sud and CIERM, Hôpital de Bicêtre 94275 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Cedex, France (U2R2M (Unité de Recherche en Résonance Magnétique Médicale) is a unité de recherche de l'Université Paris-Sud, associée au CNRS (UMR 8081).)
Corresponding authors: marie.abboud@lkb.ens.fr alice.sinatra@lkb.ens.fr
Received:
19
July
2004
Accepted:
21
September
2004
Metastability exchange optical pumping of helium-3 is performed in a strong magnetic field of 1.5. The achieved nuclear polarizations, between 80% at 1.33 and 25% at 67, show a substantial improvement at high pressures with respect to standard low-field optical pumping. The specific mechanisms of metastability exchange optical pumping at high field are investigated, advantages and intrinsic limitations are discussed. From a practical point of view, these results open the way to alternative technological solutions for polarized helium-3 applications and in particular for magnetic-resonance imaging of human lungs.
PACS: 32.80.Bx – Level crossing and optical pumping / 67.65.+z – Spin-polarized hydrogen and helium / 87.61.-c – Magnetic resonance imaging
© EDP Sciences, 2004
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