Production and collisional disorientation of highly polarised 52S1/2excited Na atoms

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Abstract
Electronic and nuclear spin polarisation approaching 100% have been produced in the 52S1/2 state of Na through laser optical pumping of the 32S1/2 ground state, combined with two-photon excitation of the 52S1/2 state. Cross sections for electronic spin relaxation (disorientation) have been measured to be less than 5*10-18 cm2 for He, less than 1*10-17 cm2 for Ne, equal to 1.7*10-16 cm2 for Ar and 9*1016 cm2 for Ar and 9*10-16 cm2 for Kr. The two latter values are of the order of 105 times larger than the corresponding cross sections in the 32S1/2 Na ground state, but nevertheless are significantly smaller than other excited-state depolarisation cross sections.