Macroscopic production of highly nuclear-spin-polarized molecules from IR-excitation and photodissociation of molecular beams

Abstract

Pure, highly nuclear-spin-polarized molecules have only been produced with molecular beam-separation methods, with production rates up to ${\sim}3{\times}10^{12}$ s$^{-1}$. Here, we propose the production of spin-polarized molecular photofragments from the IR-excitation and photodissociation of molecular beams, with production rates approaching the tabletop-IR-laser photon fluxes of $10^{21}$ s$^{-1}$. We give details on the production of spin-polarized molecular hydrogen and water isotopes, from formaldehyde and formic acid beams, respectively. Macroscopic quantities of these molecules are important for NMR signal enhancement, and for the needs of a nuclear fusion reactor, to increase the D-T or D-$^{3}$He unpolarized nuclear fusion cross section by ${\sim}50{\%}$.