Measurement of Rubidium Vapor Density Based on Spin-Exchange Rate

An efficient method is proposed for quantifying rubidium vapor density by analyzing the spin-exchange rate between alkali metals. This method effectively addresses two primary challenges in measuring alkali vapor density. First, it overcomes the limitation of absorption spectroscopy to measure vapor density under optically thick conditions, typically restricted to temperature higher than 420K, equivalent to alkali vapor density exceeding (Formula presented.) (Formula presented.). Second, it mitigates the risk of disrupting shielding functionality due to the application of a strong magnetic field, often in the range of several tens of Gauss or higher, when employing the Faraday rotation for vapor-density measurement. The spin-exchange rate between (Formula presented.) atoms, inherently related to the vapor density, is evident in the electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectrum of spin-polarized (Formula presented.), thereby providing a possibility for measuring alkali vapor density. To eliminate overlap between two Lorentzian curves resulting from two decomposed components of an oscillating field, a small rotating magnetic field with identical amplitude and frequency but a 90-degree phase shift along both the x and y axes is applied. This method is successfully employed to measure (Formula presented.) vapor density in the temperature range of 373–433 K, with the measured outcomes closely matching the saturation vapor curve.