Transverse relaxation time of xenon atoms in Rb/Xe hot atomic vapor cell via single beam modulated method

Abstract

This study investigates the transverse relaxation time (T₂) of xenon atoms in a hot rubidium/xenon (Rb/Xe) vapor cell. Alkali-metal vapor cells serve as the core of many quantum sensors, including nuclear magnetic resonance gyroscopes (NMRGs), which are widely used in navigation applications. The transverse relaxation time (T₂) of xenon nuclear spins in an atomic vapor cell as one of the key parameters in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and hyperpolarized gas experiments affects coherence times and measurement sensitivity and also directly influences the angular random walk of the gyroscope. Here using optical pumping techniques and magneto-optical detection, the T₂ of xenon atoms was measured under different temperatures. The results indicate that the transverse relaxation time is strongly affected by collisional interactions between xenon and rubidium atoms as well as wall-induced relaxation in the vapor cell. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing experimental conditions in quantum sensing applications and contribute to a better understanding of spin dynamics in hot atomic vapors. Experimental results demonstrate that the constructed Rb/Xe vapor cell can achieve a transverse relaxation time (T₂) of 10.58 s under static conditions at 75 °C. Over a cell temperature range of 70 to 110 °C, T₂ decreases with increasing temperature, while the signal amplitude increases inversely.