Nuclear Electric Quadrupole Induction of Atomic Polarization

Precessing nuclear quadrupole moments are observed to induce oscillating electric dipole moments in neighboring atoms. The ³⁵Cl nuclei of a single crystal of NaClO₃ placed between the plates of a capacitor are excited into precession by a rf pulse. After the pulse, the electric polarization induced by the chlorine nuclear quadrupole moments produces a voltage across the capacitor, which is amplified with a dc SQUID. This technique provides information on the location and polarizability of atoms near nuclear quadrupole moments in noncentrosymmetric crystals.