Notes from the Physics Teaching Lab: Optical Pumping

TL;DR

This paper provides a detailed examination of a commercially available optical pumping apparatus used in physics teaching labs, including experiments, data analysis, and guidance for instructors to enhance their curricula.

Contribution

It offers an extensive, practical guide with experimental examples and data analysis to aid instructors in integrating optical pumping experiments into physics education.

Findings

Demonstrates the capabilities of the optical pumping apparatus

Provides detailed experimental procedures and data analysis

Serves as a resource for curriculum development in physics labs

Abstract

We describe a series of experiments done using a commercially available optical pumping apparatus that is currently being used in physics teaching labs at over one hundred universities. Our focus here is to provide an extensive and detailed examination of the capabilities of this instrument, including numerous examples of extensive measurements and data analysis, presented as a supplement to the manufacturers user manual. Our hope is that instructors using this or similar optical pumping instruments will find the experiments described here useful for designing and implementing the curricula in their own physics teaching labs.