Nuclear spins of noble gases can maintain coherence for hours at ambient conditions owing to their extraordinary isolation by the enclosing, complete electronic shells. This isolation, however, impedes the ability to manipulate and control them by optical means or by physical coupling to other spin gases. Here we experimentally achieve strong coherent coupling between noble-gas spins and the optically-accessible spins of alkali-metal vapor. Stochastic spin-exchange collisions, underlying the coupling, accumulate to a coherent periodic exchange of spin excitations between the two gases. We obtain a coupling rate 10 times higher than the decay rate, observe the resultant avoided crossing in the spectral response of the spins, and demonstrate the external control over the coupling by magnetic fields. These results open a route for efficient and rapid interfacing with noble-gas spins for applications in quantum sensing and information.
Optimal Strategies for Optical Quantum Memories Using Long-Lived Noble-Gas Spins
Cornell University（康奈尔大学）；Weizmann Institute of Science（魏茨曼科学研究所）；Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik（马克斯·普朗克量子光学研究所）；Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München（慕尼黑路德维希-马克西米利安大学）；Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms（哈佛-麻省理工学院超冷原子中心）；Harvard University（哈佛大学）；Joint Quantum Institute and Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science, NIST/University of Maryland（联合量子研究所和联合量子信息与计算机科学中心，美国国家标准与技术研究院/马里兰大学）
Nuclear slowing-down factors in alkali-metal vapors
Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology（电子结构与激光研究所，研究与技术基金会）；Department of Physics, Princeton University（普林斯顿大学物理系）
Analytical model for polarization transfer during gas-phase collision events in spin-exchange optical pumping: Spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ $^{129}$Xe versus spin-$\frac{3}{2}$ $^{131}$Xe
