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An evaluation method for anti-relaxation coatings in alkali-metal vapor cells based on cumulative relaxation damage factor

Xu H, Xu Y, Hu Y, Pang H, Wu Z, Zhu Z

2026

Abstract

Abstract Alkali‑metal vapor cells are critical for quantum precision measurement devices such as atomic gyroscopes, magnetometers and clocks. The anti‑relaxation coating on cell walls determines atomic spin polarization lifetime and measurement sensitivity. Conventional evaluations depend on short‑term relaxation tests and fail to characterize long‑term coating stability and microscopic degradation. This work proposes a novel evaluation method based on a cumulative relaxation damage factor. From long‑range kinetic perspectives, alkali‑metal surface dynamics are decomposed into three elementary processes quantified by adsorption energy, charge transfer and diffusion barrier. Drawing on Lusser’s reliability law, we construct this unified factor to interpret relaxation mechanisms and assess coating performance. A first‑principles computational framework with periodic slab models is established for alkali‑metal and organic/inorganic interfaces, validated using experimental interaction parameters of four typical coatings. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed cumulative relaxation damage factor effectively distinguishes the anti-relaxation performance of different coatings and exhibits general applicability across various alkali-metal species. This study converts cumulative long‑range kinetic relaxation into microscopic coating design rules, offering a theoretical tool for wall‑collision relaxation analysis, coating screening and quantum sensing instruments…

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