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17 Jun 2002
Researchers at the University of Michigan are using high-power diode lasers to study the elementary particle structures of neutrons, electron scattering, and noble gas enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
Led by Dr. Timothy Chupp, university physicists are using 15-watt fiber-coupled diode laser modules and 20-watt open heatsink diode laser arrays supplied by Opto Power Corporation to polarize 3He, 21Ne, and 129Xe noble gases. In this polarization technique, the diode lasers optically pump a dense vapor of rubidium, which then transfers its spin to the gases.
The diode lasers are helping us get a clearer picture of the quark structure that makes up all matter," Chupp explained. "Laser polarized gases are also being used to confirm principles at the heart of general relativity and quantum mechanics." In addition to fundamentals of physics, diode lasers are helping scientists explore emerging magnetic imaging technologies, where large quantities of polarized noble gases are used to produce images of pulmonary and biological functions, he said.
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