Recent Developments in Laser-Driven Polarized Sources

Abstract

Recent progress in the performance of laser-driven sources of polarized hydrogen and deuterium is described. The current status of the prototype source, I-2.5 × 1017a-1, polarization-0.29 (including atomic fraction), is comparable to classical Stern-Gerlach sources. A scheme to improve source performance by approximately an order of magnitude, using a combination of optical-pumping spin-exchange and RF transitions, is outEned.