Abstract

This contribution reports a new way of detecting nuclear magnetic resonance in solids and gases using a coherent optical and radio-frequency-induced Raman effect. The technique, which employs heterodyne detection, is capable of monitoring nuclear resonances under cw conditions or coherent spin transients, both in the ground and excited electronic states, with high sensitivity and precision. We have demonstrated the versatility of the method in the dilute rare-earth impurity-ion crystals Pr³⁺:LaP₃ and Pr³⁺: YAlO₃, and have detected Pr³⁺ spin echoes of nuclear quadrupole transitions not only in the ³H₄ ground state but also for the first known time in the ¹D₂ excited electronic state.

© 1984 Optical Society of America