Zero-field remote detection of NMR with a microfabricated atomic magnetometer

Published

February 19, 2008

Author(s)

M Ledbetter, I Savukov, D Budker, V Shah, Svenja A. Knappe, John E. Kitching, D Michalak, S Xu, A Pines

Abstract

We demonstrate remote detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with a microfabricated atomic magnetometer and microfluidic channel integrated on a single device. Detection occurs at zero magnetic field, which allows operation of the magnetometer in the spin-exchange relaxation free (SERF) regime and increases the proximity of sensor and sample by eliminating the need for a solenoid to create a leading field. We achieve NMR linewidths of 31 Hz, limited by residence time in the encoding region. In a fully optimized system, we estimate that, for 1 second of integration, 7 X 10¹³ protons in a volume of 1 mm³, prepolarized in a 10 kG field can be detected with a signal-to-noise ratio of about β.

Citation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America-Physical Sciences

Volume

105

Issue

7

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

chip-scale magnetometer, CSAM, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance

Citation

Ledbetter, M. , Savukov, I. , Budker, D. , Shah, V. , Knappe, S. , Kitching, J. , Michalak, D. , Xu, S. and Pines, A. (2008), Zero-field remote detection of NMR with a microfabricated atomic magnetometer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America-Physical Sciences, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=50598 (Accessed October 18, 2025)