Polarized $^3$He ions have promising applications in nuclear physics as an ideal substitute for polarized neutron beams, and in fusion research as fuel for polarized nuclear fusion. However, current methods are limited in achievable intensity or polarization and require complex sources.
Our new approach promises to overcome these limitations with an intense polarized $^3$He beam with a polarization up to 𝑃 ∼ 0.9. The method is theoretically well understood and uses single radio wave pulses to induce transitions within the hyperfine structure in the Zeeman region of $^3$He$^+$. In this way, the three substates of the 𝐹 = 1 triplet can be pumped into a single one, leading to a nuclear polarization. Experimentally, the achievable polarization is planned to be measured after acceleration of the $^3$He ions with the cyclotron JULIC using the known analyzing powers of the elastic scattering on protons in the 10–100 MeV energy range.