Polarized He3 gas compression system using metastability-exchange optical pumping

Dense samples (10–100barcm) of nuclear spin polarized He3 are utilized in high energy physics, neutron scattering, atomic physics, and magnetic resonance imaging. Metastability exchange optical pumping can rapidly produce high He3 polarizations (≈80%) at low pressures (few mbar). We describe a polarized He3 gas compressor system which accepts 0.26barlh−1 of He3 gas polarized to 70% by a 4W neodymium doped lanthanum magnesium hexaluminate (Nd:LMA) laser and compresses it into a 5barcm target with final polarization of 55%. The spin relaxation rates of the system’s components have been measured using nuclear magnetic resonance and a model of the He3 polarization loss based on the measured relaxation rates and the gas flow is in agreement with a He3 polarization measurement using neutron transmission.