Studies of a Dual Noble Gas Maser
Abstract
The dual noble gas maser (DNGM) supports the simultaneous, active maser oscillation of co-habitating ensembles of ^129Xe and ^3He gas operating on their nuclear spin-1/2 Zeeman transitions. Population inversions for the ^129Xe and ^3He masers are created by spin-exchange collisions between the noble gas atoms and laser-optically-pumped rubidium vapor. We will describe ongoing development of a second-generation DNGM at the Center for Astrophysics. The DNGM may be useful in precision tests of fundamental physical laws, including an improved search for a permanent electric dipole moment of the ^129Xe atom. We will also describe a recently-developed theoretical description of maser frequency oscillations observed during operation of the first generation DNGM at the University of Michigan. These oscillations have been the dominant source of DNGM frequency instability for measurement intervals exceeding 500 sec. We propose a novel resonator detuning scheme to reduce or eliminate their effect.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 1996
- Bibcode:
- 1996APS..DMP..TP29S