Adiabatic passage with spin locking in Tm${}^{3+}$:YAG

Adiabatic passage with spin locking in Tm $^{3 +}$ :YAG

M. F. Pascual-Winter, R. C. Tongning, R. Lauro, A. Louchet-Chauvet, T. Chanelière, and J.-L. Le Gouët

Phys. Rev. B 86, 064301 – Published 6 August 2012

Abstract

In low-concentration Tm $^{3 +}$ :YAG, we observe efficient adiabatic rapid passage (ARP) of thulium nuclear spin over flipping times much longer than $T_{2}$ . Efficient ARP with long flipping time has been observed in monoatomic solids for decades and has been analyzed in terms of spin temperature and of the thermodynamic equilibrium of a coupled spin ensemble. In low-concentration impurity-doped crystals the spin temperature concept may be questioned. A single spin model should be preferred since the impurity ions are weakly coupled together but interact with the numerous off-resonant matrix ions that originate the spin-spin relaxation. The experiment takes place in the context of quantum information investigation, involving impurity-doped crystals, spin hyperpolarization by optical pumping, and optical detection of the spin evolution.