Optical pumping of matrix-isolated barium monofluoride: dependence on the orientation of the BaF molecular axis

D. Heinrich; Z. Corriveau; J. Perez Garcia; N. T. McCall; H. -M. Yau; R. L. Lambo; T. Chauhan; G. K. Koyanagi; A. Marsman; M. C. George; C. H. Storry; M. Horbatsch; E. A. Hessels

arXiv · 2410.04605

Optical pumping of matrix-isolated barium monofluoride: dependence on the orientation of the BaF molecular axis

D. Heinrich·Z. Corriveau·J. Perez Garcia·N. T. McCall·H. -M. Yau·R. L. Lambo·T. Chauhan·G. K. Koyanagi·A. Marsman·M. C. George·C. H. Storry·M. Horbatsch·E. A. Hessels

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Abstract

Optical pumping of barium monofluoride (BaF) within a cryogenic neon matrix is demonstrated. Interestingly, with an applied magnetic field of 2~G, optical pumping is found to be considerably more efficient for a laser beam with right-circular polarization compared to left-circular polarization. Calculations show that the higher efficiency is due to a constructive versus destructive interference and is dependent on the orientation of the BaF molecule relative to the magnetic field direction. The effect leads to orientation-dependent optical pumping within the matrix. As optical pumping is the first step used in our planned electron electric-dipole moment (eEDM) measurement, we intend to exploit this property to obtain the selection of molecular orientations that is required for an eEDM measurement.

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D. Heinrich, Z. Corriveau, J. Perez Garcia, N. T. McCall, H. -M. Yau, R. L. Lambo, T. Chauhan, G. K. Koyanagi, A. Marsman, M. C. George, C. H. Storry, M. Horbatsch, E. A. Hessels. 2024-10-06. Optical pumping of matrix-isolated barium monofluoride: dependence on the orientation of the BaF molecular axis. https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.04605

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