High Xe density, high photon flux, stopped-flow spin-exchange optical pumping: Simulations versus experiments

[Display omitted] •Standard models of SEOP describe the high Xe density, high photon flux regime.•A laser power and Xe density independent ‘optimal absorption’ is reported.•A simulation guided roadmap for increasing clinical scale Xe polariser performance. Spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) can enhance the NMR sensitivity of noble gases by up to five orders of magnitude at Tesla-strength magnetic fields. SEOP-generated hyperpolarised (HP) 129Xe is a promising contrast agent for lung imaging but an ongoing barrier to widespread clinical usage has been economical production of sufficient quantities with high 129Xe polarisation. Here, the ‘standard model’ of SEOP, which was previously used in the optimisation of continuous-flow 129Xe polarisers, is modified for validation against two Xe-rich stopped-flow SEOP datasets. We use this model to examine ways to increase HP Xe production efficiency in stopped-flow 129Xe polarisers and provide further insight into the underlying physics of Xe-rich stopped-flow SEOP at high laser fluxes.