Single-shot diffusion measurement in laser-polarized gas

A single-shot pulsed gradient stimulated echo sequence is introduced to address the challenges of diffusion measurements of laser polarized He-3 and Xe-129 gas. Laser polarization enhances the NMR sensitivity of these noble gases by >10(3), but creates an unstable, nonthermal polarization that is not readily renewable, A new method is presented which permits parallel acquisition of the several measurements required to determine a diffusive attenuation curve. The NMR characterization of a sample's diffusion behavior can be accomplished in a single measurement, using only a single polarization step. As a demonstration, the diffusion coefficient of a sample of laser-polarized Xe-129 gas is measured via this method. (C) 1999 Academic Press.