Measurement of the ground-stategJfactor ofNa23

Abstract

The technique of spin-exchange optical pumping was used to measure the ratio $\frac{g_J\left({}_{}{}^{87}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Rb}\right)}{g_J\left({}_{}{}^{23}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Na}\right)}$ for the alkali metals in their ${}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}S_{\frac{1}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ ground states. Zeeman hyperfine splittings were produced in a magnetic field of 43 G, the $\Delta F=0\mathrm{}$ transition frequencies measured, and the $g_J$ and $\frac{g_I}{g_J}$ ratios evaluated by means of a best fit to the Breit-Rabi expression for the alkali-metal energy levels. The resonance lines were collected and displayed by a minicomputer programmed for repetitive-scan signal averaging. Possible systematic effects of pumping light, buffer pressure, etc., were considered in obtaining the final results $\frac{g_J\left({}_{}{}^{87}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Rb}\right)}{g_J\left({}_{}{}^{23}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Na}\right)}=1.000\mathrm{}01771\left(7\right)\mathrm{}$ and $g_J\left({}_{}{}^{23}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Na}\right)=2.002\mathrm{}29563\left(16\right)\mathrm{}$. The measured value for $\frac{g_I}{g_J}\left({}_{}{}^{23}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Na}\right)$ is in good agreement with results from atomic-beam experiments.