Open AccessDiffusion of Cs atoms in Ne buffer gas measured by optical magnetic resonance tomography
Author(s) -
Dominik Giel,
G. Hinz,
Daniel Nettels,
A. Weis
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.6.000251
Subject(s) - buffer gas , diffusion , optics , materials science , paramagnetism , resonance (particle physics) , nuclear magnetic resonance , spin (aerodynamics) , atomic physics , faraday effect , magnetic field , physics , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics , laser , thermodynamics
Optical magnetic resonance tomography uses optical pumping and the paramagnetic Faraday effect to image spin density distributions in optically thin media. In this paper we present an apparatus that allows to measure the distribution of spin-polarized Cs atoms, which we applied to study the diffusion of Cs in Ne buffer gas by time-resolved 2D-mapping of the evolution of an initial inhomogeneous spin distribution. The diffusion constant D0 for Cs in a Ne buffer gas of 1013 mbar is determined as 0.20(1) cm2\s.