Quantum Optics Laboratory

Ensembles of hothyperpolarizedgases make an excellent platform for precision measurements of spin dependent phenomena. Upper bounds on the neutron electric dipole moment, Lorentz invariance, and scalar pseudo-scalar (axion-like) particle interactions have all been made using such ensembles. Additional applications include fetal magnetocardiography (biophysics) and inertial guidance gyros. In this talk I will review conventional optical pumping methods used to create and detectmacroscopicallypolarized ensembles of noble gas nuclei. I will also report on recent progress towards a new type of NMR gyro designed to mitigate systematic errors inherent in conventional optical pumping methods.