Detection of NMR signals with a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer

J Magn Reson. 2007 Apr;185(2):214-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jmr.2006.12.012. Epub 2006 Dec 23.

Abstract

We demonstrate detection of proton NMR signals with a radio-frequency (rf) atomic magnetometer tuned to the NMR frequency of 62 kHz. High-frequency operation of the atomic magnetometer makes it relatively insensitive to ambient magnetic field noise. We obtain magnetic field sensitivity of 7 fT/Hz1/2 using only a thin aluminum shield. We also derive an expression for the fundamental sensitivity limit of a surface inductive pick-up coil as a function of frequency and find that an atomic rf magnetometer is intrinsically more sensitive than a coil of comparable size for frequencies below about 50 MHz.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / instrumentation*
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Magnetics / instrumentation*
  • Radio Waves
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Transducers*
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Water