Optically Pumped Direct Extraction Electron Spin Filter System and Method of Use

Authors

• Hermanus Batelaan, Lincoln, NE
• Benjamin B. Birdsey, Lincoln, NE
• Timothy J. Gay, Lincoln, NEFollow
• Brooks A. Hitt, Lincoln, NE

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2003

Citation

Patent No.: US 6,590,923 B1

Comments

Appl. No.: 09/347,674

Abstract

Disclosed are a System, and method, for producing a directly extracted flow of preferred-spin-polarization-direction electrons. The present invention optically pumped electron Spin filter System provides a mixture of, typically alkali, atoms and electron polarization direction enhancing buffer gas, to a, preferably, Single chamber essentially enclosed Space, into which essentially enclosed space is entered a predominately single handedness, preferably laser System produced, beam of photons which optically pumps electrons in atoms to a dark-ground State with a preferred-spin-polarization, that is maintained in the presence of an imposed magnetic field, which magnetic field is oriented essentially co-linear with said beam of predominately single polarized photons. Con-currently electrons are, by practice of the method of the present invention, generated in the essentially enclosed space by a buffer gas mediated electric discharge, and are caused to be in a preferred-spin-polarization-direction via pumped dark-ground State atom-electron collision mediated exchange mechanism(s), prior to being directly extracted.