Ultrahigh-density spin-polarized hydrogen isotopes from the photodissociation of hydrogen halides: new applications for laser-ion acceleration, magnetometry, and polarized nuclear fusion

Alexandros K Spiliotis; Michalis Xygkis; Michail E Koutrakis; Konstantinos Tazes; Gregoris K Boulogiannis; Chrysovalantis S Kannis; Georgios E Katsoprinakis; Dimitrios Sofikitis; T Peter Rakitzis

doi:10.1038/s41377-021-00476-y

Ultrahigh-density spin-polarized hydrogen isotopes from the photodissociation of hydrogen halides: new applications for laser-ion acceleration, magnetometry, and polarized nuclear fusion

Light Sci Appl. 2021 Feb 12;10(1):35. doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00476-y.

Authors

Alexandros K Spiliotis^{1

2}, Michalis Xygkis^{1

2}, Michail E Koutrakis^{1

2}, Konstantinos Tazes^{1

2}, Gregoris K Boulogiannis^{1

2}, Chrysovalantis S Kannis^{1

2}, Georgios E Katsoprinakis^{1

2}, Dimitrios Sofikitis^{1

2

3}, T Peter Rakitzis^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, N. Plastira 100, Heraklion, Crete, GR-71110, Greece.
² University of Crete, Department of Physics, Herakleio, Greece.
³ Department of Physics, Atomic and Molecular Physics Laboratory, University of Ioannina, University Campus, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece.
⁴ Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, N. Plastira 100, Heraklion, Crete, GR-71110, Greece. ptr@iesl.forth.gr.
⁵ University of Crete, Department of Physics, Herakleio, Greece. ptr@iesl.forth.gr.

Abstract

Recently, our group produced spin-polarized hydrogen (SPH) atoms at densities of at least 10¹⁹ cm^-3 from the photodissociation of hydrogen halide molecules with circularly polarized UV light and measured them via magnetization-quantum beats with a pickup coil. These densities are approximately 7 orders of magnitude higher than those produced using conventional methods, opening up new fields of application, such as ultrafast magnetometry, the production of polarized MeV and GeV particle beams, such as electron beams with intensities approximately 10⁴ higher than current sources, and the study of polarized nuclear fusion, for which the reaction cross sections of D-T and D-³He reactions are expected to increase by 50% for fully polarized nuclear spins. We review the production, detection, depolarization mechanisms, and potential applications of high-density SPH.

Publication types

Review