3,710 research outputs found
Self-adaptive loop for external disturbance reduction in differential measurement set-up
We present a method developed to actively compensate common-mode magnetic
disturbances on a multi-sensor device devoted to differential measurements. The
system uses a field-programmable-gated-array card, and operates in conjunction
with a high sensitivity magnetometer: compensating the common-mode of magnetic
disturbances results in a relevant reduction of the difference-mode noise. The
digital nature of the compensation system allows for using a numerical approach
aimed at automatically adapting the feedback loop filter response. A common
mode disturbance attenuation exceeding 50 dB is achieved, resulting in a final
improvement of the differential noise floor by a factor of 10 over the whole
spectral interval of interest.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, 26 ref
Multichannel optical atomic magnetometer operating in unshielded environment
A multi-channel atomic magnetometer operating in an unshielded environment is
described and characterised. The magnetometer is based on D1 optical pumping
and D2 polarimetry of Cs vapour contained in gas-buffered cells. Several
technical implementations are described and discussed in detail. The
demonstrated sensitivity of the setup is 100fT/Hz^1/2 when operating in the
difference mode.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, appearing in Appl.Phys.
Simultaneous Detection of H and D NMR Signals in a micro-Tesla Field
We present NMR spectra of remote-magnetized deuterated water, detected in an
unshielded environment by means of a differential atomic magnetometer. The
measurements are performed in a T field, while pulsed techniques are
applied -following the sample displacement- in a 100~T field, to tip both
D and H nuclei by controllable amounts. The broadband nature of the detection
system enables simultaneous detection of the two signals and accurate
evaluation of their decay times. The outcomes of the experiment demonstrate the
potential of ultra-low-field NMR spectroscopy in important applications where
the correlation between proton and deuteron spin-spin relaxation rates as a
function of external parameters contains significant information.Comment: 7 pages (letter, 4 pages) plus supplemental material as an appendix.
This document is the unedited author's version of a Submitted Work that was
subsequently accepted for publication in Journal of Phys. Chem. Lett.,
copyright American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final
edited and published work see:
pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b0285
Detection of NMR signals with a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer
We demonstrate detection of proton NMR signals with a radio frequency 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/Hz 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.Comment: 7 page
A highly stable atomic vector magnetometer based on free spin precession
We present a magnetometer based on optically pumped Cs atoms that measures
the magnitude and direction of a 1 T magnetic field. Multiple circularly
polarized laser beams were used to probe the free spin precession of the Cs
atoms. The design was optimized for long-time stability and achieves a scalar
resolution better than 300 fT for integration times ranging from 80 ms to 1000
s. The best scalar resolution of less than 80 fT was reached with integration
times of 1.6 to 6 s. We were able to measure the magnetic field direction with
a resolution better than 10 rad for integration times from 10 s up to 2000
s
Optical Magnetometry
Some of the most sensitive methods of measuring magnetic fields utilize
interactions of resonant light with atomic vapor. Recent developments in this
vibrant field are improving magnetometers in many traditional areas such as
measurement of geomagnetic anomalies and magnetic fields in space, and are
opening the door to new ones, including, dynamical measurements of bio-magnetic
fields, detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic-resonance
imaging (MRI), inertial-rotation sensing, magnetic microscopy with cold atoms,
and tests of fundamental symmetries of Nature.Comment: 11 pages; 4 figures; submitted to Nature Physic
A new generation of magnetoencephalography: room temperature measurements using optically-pumped magnetometers
Advances in the field of quantum sensing mean that magnetic field sensors, operating at room temperature, are now able to achieve sensitivity similar to that of cryogenically cooled devices (SQUIDs). This means that room temperature magnetoencephalography (MEG), with a greatly increased flexibility of sensor placement can now be considered. Further, these new sensors can be placed directly on the scalp surface giving, theoretically, a large increase in the magnitude of the measured signal. Here, we present recordings made using a single optically-pumped magnetometer (OPM) in combination with a 3D-printed head-cast designed to accurately locate and orient the sensor relative to brain anatomy. Since our OPM is configured as a magnetometer it is highly sensitive to environmental interference. However, we show that this problem can be ameliorated via the use of simultaneous reference sensor recordings. Using median nerve stimulation, we show that the OPM can detect both evoked (phase-locked) and induced (non-phase-locked oscillatory) changes when placed over sensory cortex, with signals ~4 times larger than equivalent SQUID measurements. Using source modelling, we show that our system allows localisation of the evoked response to somatosensory cortex. Further, source-space modelling shows that, with 13 sequential OPM measurements, source-space signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is comparable to that from a 271-channel SQUID system. Our results highlight the opportunity presented by OPMs to generate uncooled, potentially low-cost, high SNR MEG systems
Optically pumped magnetometers: From quantum origins to multi-channel magnetoencephalography
Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) have emerged as a viable and wearable alternative to cryogenic, superconducting MEG systems. This new generation of sensors has the advantage of not requiring cryogenic cooling and as a result can be flexibly placed on any part of the body. The purpose of this review is to provide a neuroscience audience with the theoretical background needed to understand the physical basis for the signal observed by OPMs. Those already familiar with the physics of MRI and NMR should note that OPMs share much of the same theory as the operation of OPMs rely on magnetic resonance. This review establishes the physical basis for the signal equation for OPMs. We re-derive the equations defining the bounds on OPM performance and highlight the important trade-offs between quantities such as bandwidth, sensor size and sensitivity. These equations lead to a direct upper bound on the gain change due to cross-talk for a multi-channel OPM system
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