In a hybrid pumping alkali-metal vapor cell filled with both K and Rb atoms, the K atom spins are optically pumped by the laser and the Rb atom spins are polarized by the K spins through spin exchange. We discovered that the ac Stark shift of the Rb atom spins, caused by the far-off-resonant pumping laser tuned to the K absorption lines, was mixed together with the ac Stark shift of the K atom spins through fast spin exchange. This mixing is studied and we demonstrate a K-Rb-${}^{21}\mathrm{Ne}$ comagnetometer in which the ac Stark shift of the Rb atom spins is eliminated by compensating for the Rb ac Stark shift with the K ac Stark shift. An ac Stark shift elimination method has been developed.

• Received 4 July 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.94.052705