SPIN-EXCHANGE OPTICAL-PUMPING OF NOBLE-GAS NUCLEI

Spin-exchange optical pumping of mixtures of alkali-metal vapors and n oble gases can be used to efficiently polarize the nuclei of the noble -gas atoms. Liters of noble gases at standard temperature and pressure and with nuclear spin polarizations of several tens of percent are no w used in many applications. The authors describe the basic phenomena that govern the spin-exchange process and review the physics of angula r momentum transfer and loss in optical pumping and spin-exchange coll isions.