Enhanced Polarization of Low Pressure $^3$He through Metastability-Exchange Optical Pumping at High Field

Abstract

We report high steady-state nuclear polarization of 1 torr $^3$He gas nuclei via metastability-exchange optical pumping at magnetic fields above 2 T. The introduction of highly polarized $^3$He gas into Brookhaven's Electron Beam Ion Source would enable a new, polarized $^3$He ion source for use at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and a future Electron-Ion Collider facility. By adapting recent developments in high field metastability-exchange optical pumping for higher pressure gas, we have successfully polarized 1 torr $^3$He sealed cells in the EBIS solenoid. Through careful manipulation of the RF discharge parameters, polarizations above 80% were attained at 2, 3 and 4 T, with 89% being reached at 3 T with a 664 s relaxation time.