Optical pumping of the metastable (2p5 3s 3P0) state of 21Ne

Abstract
Metastable 2p5 3s 3P0 (1S 3 in Paschen notation) atoms of 21Ne are optically pumped in a weak discharge by means of a C.W. dye laser. The magnetic resonance is observed for a g-factor g(3P0) = (3.02 ± 0.30) x 10-4 larger than the ground state g-factor g(1S0) = (2.402 75 ± 0.000 05) x 10-4 and in good agreement with the theory (3.08 x 10-4) taking into account the mixing of the 3P0 with the 1P 1 and 3P1 levels of the 2p5 3s configuration through the hyperfine interaction. The précision of the result is poor because of a relatively short relaxation time of the orientation of the 3P 0 state in the present experimental conditions