Progress with optically pumped sources of polarized electrons

Abstract

Abstract. We report our work in developing new "turn-key" sources of polarized electrons. These sources operate by extracting the electrons from a discharge and polarizing them through optical pumping. Preliminary work demonstrates that beams of 4 jiA with greater than 20% polarization are possible. Such devices could enormously simplify the running of many experiments in the fields of atomic structure, magnetic materials and biophysics.

Transverse quantum Stern–Gerlach magnets for electrons

“…For the transverse case, the spin splitting is at normal angles to the direction of propagation of the electron, just as it is for the usual silver atom case. A transverse electron Stern-Gerlach magnet may provide an alternative technique for the production of polarized electron beams as compared with the usual optically pumped Ga-As sources [11]. The existence of a transverse Stern-Gerlach magnet (in addition to the earlier proposed longitudinal Stern-Gerlach magnet) addresses another proposal out of the four proposals rejected by Bohr and Pauli.…”