Optical hyperpolarization and NMR detection of 129Xe on a microfluidic chip

Published

May 20, 2014

Author(s)

Ricardo Jimenez Martinez, Daniel J. Kennedy, Michael Rosenbluh, Elizabeth A. Donley, Svenja A. Knappe, Scott J. Seltzer, Hattie L. Ring, Vikram S. Bajaj, John E. Kitching

Abstract

We present a microfluidic chip that enables the production of laser-polarized 129Xe gas and its optical detection. Production of polarized 129Xe and its remote detection is achieved under flowing gas conditions at low magnetic fields in two separate chambers connected by a microfluidic channel. Polarization of 129Xe occurs, through spin-exchange collisions with 87Rb atoms, in a 25 υL chamber using a few mW of pumping light. The polarized 129Xe atoms are detected in the second chamber using a 87Rb magnetometer. Using this device, under a total gas flow of 10 υL/sec, we have achieved 0.002 129Xe polarization fractions with a coherence time of about 1 second, and its efficient transport between both chambers. These results show that the miniaturization of 129Xe polarizers and its integration with sensitive detectors can be achieved without compromising polarization and sensitivity. They represent a first step towards the implementation of fully integrated 129Xe enhanced NMR instrumentation in low-cost, portable, and sensitive devices.

Citation

Nature Communications

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

hyperpolarizer, Laser spectroscopy, Noble gas, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Optical magnetometry, Optical pumping

Citation

Jimenez, R. , Kennedy, D. , Rosenbluh, M. , Donley, E. , Knappe, S. , Seltzer, S. , Ring, H. , Bajaj, V. and Kitching, J. (2014), Optical hyperpolarization and NMR detection of ¹²⁹Xe on a microfluidic chip, Nature Communications, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=913663 (Accessed October 13, 2025)