Precision polarization measurements of atoms in a far-off-resonance optical dipole trap

Abstract

Precision measurement of atomic and nuclear polarization is an essential step for beta-asymmetry measurement of radioactive atoms. In this paper, we report the polarization measurement of Rb atoms in an yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) far-off-resonance optical dipole trap. We have prepared a cold cloud of polarized Rb atoms in the YAG dipole trap by optical pumping and achieved an initial nuclear polarization of up to 97.2(5)$%$. The initial atom distribution in different Zeeman levels is measured by using a combination of microwave excitation, laser pushing, and atomic retrap techniques. The nuclear-spin polarization is further purified to 99.2(2)$%$ in 10 s and maintained above 99$%$ because the two-body collision loss rate between atoms in mixed spin states is greater than the one-body trap loss rate. Systematic effects on the nuclear polarization, including the off-resonance Raman scattering, magnetic field gradient, and background gas collisions, are discussed.