This study investigates the atomic diffusion process within antirelaxation coated vapor cells using a partially illuminated light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) scheme. We conducted a comprehensive theoretical analysis to model variation in vapor density during the process and predict the variation in vapor density due to lateral diffusion from the unilluminated region. This implies that under partial illumination, the number density changes follow a triexponential behavior, rather than the biexponential behavior observed under full illumination. In addition, repeated illumination confirmed the existence of lateral diffusion inside the antirelaxation coatings. Additionally, we demonstrated the impact of LIAD on the spin-relaxation time to obtain the intrinsic coating performance variation induced by atomic diffusion. Our study provides deeper insights into the atomic transport phenomena in coated vapor cells, as well as the potential of employing all-optical techniques to manipulate the vapor density and coating properties of coated vapor cells, which are beneficial for applications in quantum sensing and precision measurements.

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• Light-matter interaction
• Optical pumping
• Quantum sensing
• Atomic ensemble