A modified analytical model of the alkali-metal atomic magnetometer employing longitudinal carrier field

Alkali-metal atomic magnetometers employing longitudinal carrier magnetic field have ultrahigh sensitivity to measure transverse magnetic fields and have been applied in a variety of precise-measurement science and technologies. In practice, the magnetometer response is not rigorously proportional to the measured transverse magnetic fields and the existing fundamental analytical model of this magnetometer is effective only when the amplitudes of the measured fields are very small. In this paper, we present a modified analytical model to characterize the practical performance of the magnetometer more definitely. We find out how the longitudinal magnetization of the alkali metal atoms vary with larger transverse fields. The linear-response capacity of the magnetometer is determined by these factors: the amplitude and frequency of the longitudinal carrier field, longitudinal and transverse spin relaxation time of the alkali spins and rotation frequency of the transverse fields. We give a detailed and rigorous theoretical derivation by using the perturbation-iteration method and simulation experiments are conducted to verify the validity and correctness of the proposed modified model. This model can be helpful for measuring larger fields more accurately and configuring a desirable magnetometer with proper linear range.     

High frequency atomic magnetometer by use of electromagnetically induced transparency

Atomic magnetometers have achieved magnetic sensitivities in the subfemtotesla regime. Their bandwidth is determined by the transverse spin relaxation rate, 1/T2, which also determines the magnetic sensitivity. It is theoretically demonstrated that by using an electromagnetically induced transparent probe beam in a pump-probe atomic magnetometer, it is possible to operate the latter at frequencies much higher than its bandwidth, maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio.     

Experimental Investigation on a Highly Sensitive Atomic Magnetometer

A highly sensitive all-optical atomic magnetometer based on the magnetooptical effect which uses the advanced technique of single laser beam detection is reported and demonstrated experimentally. A sensitivity of 0.5pT/Hz^1/2 is obtained by analyzing the magnetic noise spectrum, which exceeds that of most traditional magnetometers. This kind of atomic magnetometer is very compact, has a low power consumption, and has a high theoretical sensitivity limit, which make it suitable for many applications.     

抽运-检测型非线性磁光旋转铷原子磁力仪的研究

报道了一种抽运-检测型的非线性磁光旋转铷原子磁力仪.其原理是线偏振光通过处于外磁场环境中被极化的原子介质后,由于原子对线偏振光中左、右圆偏成分不同的吸收和色散,导致光的偏振方向会产生与磁场相关的转动.分析了该磁力仪的工作原理,并测试了它对不同磁场大小的响应.测试结果表明,磁力仪测量范围为100—100000 nT,极限灵敏度为0.2 p T/Hz~(1/2),磁场分辨率为0.1 p T.进一步研究了不同磁场下原子系综极化态的横向弛豫时间,讨论了原子磁力仪高磁场采样率的获得方法.本文的原子磁力仪在5000—100000 n T的磁场测量范围内磁场采样率可实现1—1000 Hz范围内可调,能够测量低频的微弱交变磁场.本文的研究内容为大磁场测量范围、高灵敏度、高磁场采样率的原子磁力仪研制提供了重要参考.     

High-sensitivity atomic magnetometer unaffected by spin-exchange relaxation

Alkali-metal magnetometers compete with SQUID detectors as the most sensitive magnetic field sensors. Their sensitivity is limited by relaxation due to spin-exchange collisions. We demonstrate a K magnetometer in which spin-exchange relaxation is completely eliminated by operating at high K density and low magnetic field. Direct measurements of the signal-to-noise ratio give a magnetometer sensitivity of 10 fT Hz(-1/2), limited by magnetic noise produced by Johnson currents in the magnetic shields. We extend a previous theoretical analysis of spin exchange in low magnetic fields to arbitrary spin polarizations and estimate the shot-noise limit of the magnetometer to be 2x10(-18) T Hz(-1/2).     

Can a quantum nondemolition measurement improve the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer?

We consider the limitations due to noise (e.g., quantum projection noise and photon shot-noise) on the sensitivity of an idealized atomic magnetometer that utilizes spin squeezing induced by a continuous quantum nondemolition measurement. Such a magnetometer measures spin precession of N atomic spins by detecting optical rotation of far-detuned light. We show that for very short measurement times, the optimal sensitivity scales as N(-3/4); if strongly squeezed probe light is used, the Heisenberg limit of N-1 scaling can be achieved. However, if the measurement time exceeds tau(rel)/N(1/2) in the former case, or tau(rel)/N in the latter, where tau(rel) is the spin relaxation time, the scaling becomes N(-1/2), as for a standard shot-noise-limited magnetometer.     

High-resolution magnetometry with a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate

We demonstrate a precise magnetic microscope based on direct imaging of the Larmor precession of a 87Rb spinor Bose-Einstein condensate. This magnetometer attains a field sensitivity of 8.3 pT/Hz1/2 over a measurement area of 120 microm2, an improvement over the low-frequency field sensitivity of modern SQUID magnetometers. The achieved phase sensitivity is close to the atom shot-noise limit, estimated as 0.15 pT/Hz1/2 for a unity duty cycle measurement, suggesting the possibilities of spatially resolved spin-squeezed magnetometry. This magnetometer marks a significant application of degenerate atomic gases to metrology.     

Hyperpolarized xenon nuclear spins detected by optical atomic magnetometry

We report the use of an atomic magnetometer based on nonlinear magneto-optical rotation with frequency-modulated light to detect nuclear magnetization of xenon gas. The magnetization of a spin-exchange-polarized xenon sample (1.7 c m(3) at a pressure of 5 bars, natural isotopic abundance, polarization 1% ), prepared remotely to the detection apparatus, is measured with an atomic sensor. An average magnetic field of approximately 10 nG induced by the xenon sample on the 10 cm diameter atomic sensor is detected with signal-to-noise ratio approximately 10 , limited by residual noise in the magnetic environment. The possibility of using modern atomic magnetometers as detectors of nuclear magnetic resonance and in magnetic resonance imaging is discussed. Atomic magnetometers appear to be ideally suited for emerging low-field and remote-detection magnetic resonance applications.     

极化检测型铷原子磁力仪的研究

针对交变弱磁场的检测,研制了一种基于极化-检测双光束结构的激光抽运铷原子磁力仪.为了获得该磁力仪对磁场的响应特性,通过数值仿真分析了信号幅度随极化磁场强度、弛豫时间的变化关系,并进行了实验验证.最后通过选择合适的极化磁场使磁力仪对待测磁场的灵敏度最大.实验结果表明,优化后磁力仪灵敏度为0.2pT/(Hz)~(1/2),响应带宽3.5kHz,可用于弱磁场磁共振、高频异常物理现象等信号的检测.     

Spin dynamics of the potassium magnetometer in spin-exchange relaxation free regime

The laser-pumped potassium spin-exchange relaxation free(SERF) magnetometer is the most sensitive detector of magnetic field and has many important applications. We present the experimental results of our potassium SERF magnetometer. A pump–probe approach is used to identify the unique spin dynamics of the atomic ensemble in the SERF regime.A single channel sensitivity of 8 f·THz-1/2is achieved with our SERF magnetometer.     

Optical magnetometer array for fetal magnetocardiography

We describe an array of spin-exchange-relaxation-free optical magnetometers designed for detection of fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG). The individual magnetometers are configured with a small volume with intense optical pumping, surrounded by a large pump-free region. Spin-polarized atoms that diffuse out of the optical pumping region precess in the ambient magnetic field and are detected by a probe laser. Four such magnetometers, at the corners of a 7 cm square, are configured for gradiometry by feeding back the output of one magnetometer to a field coil to null uniform magnetic field noise at frequencies up to 200 Hz. We present the first measurements of fMCG signals using an atomic magnetometer.     

Dynamic range and linearity improvement for zero-field single-beam atomic magnetometer

Zero-field single-beam atomic magnetometers with transverse parametric modulation for ultra-weak magnetic field detection have attracted widespread attention recently. In this study, we present a comprehensive response model and propose a modification method of conventional first harmonic response by introducing the second harmonic correction. The proposed modification method gives improvement in dynamic range and reduction of linearity error. Additionally, our modification method shows suppression of response instability caused by optical intensity and frequency fluctuations. An atomic magnetometer with single-beam configuration is built to compare the performance between our proposed method and the conventional method. The results indicate that our method's magnetic field response signal achieves a 5-fold expansion of dynamic range from 2 nT to 10 nT, with the linearity error decreased from 5% to 1%. Under the fluctuations of 5% for optical intensity and ±15 GHz detuning of frequency, the proposed modification method maintains intensity-related instability less than 1% and frequency-related instability less than 8% while the conventional method suffers 15% and 38%, respectively. Our method is promising for future high-sensitive and long-term stable optically pumped atomic sensors.     

A large sample study of spin relaxation and magnetometric sensitivity of paraffin-coated Cs vapor cells

We have manufactured more than 250 nominally identical paraffin-coated Cs vapor cells (28 mm inner diameter bulbs) for multi-channel atomic magnetometer applications. We describe our dedicated cell characterization apparatus. For each cell we have determined the intrinsic longitudinal, Γ ₀₁, and transverse, Γ ₀₂, relaxation rates. Our best cell shows Γ ₀₁/2π≈0.5 Hz, and Γ ₀₂/2π≈2 Hz. We find a strong correlation of both relaxation rates which we explain in terms of reservoir and spin exchange relaxation. For each cell we have determined the optimal combination of rf and laser powers which yield the highest sensitivity to magnetic field changes. Out of all produced cells, 90% are found to have magnetometric sensitivities in the range of 9 to 30 fT . Noise analysis shows that the magnetometers operated with such cells have a sensitivity close to the fundamental photon shot noise limit.     

线极化Bell-Bloom测磁系统中抽运光对磁场灵敏度的影响

利用适用于线极化Bell-Bloom测磁系统的布洛赫方程和含有自旋弛豫的速率方程,以铯原子为研究对象,分析了抽运光对磁场灵敏度的影响,并在实验上分别采用与铯原子D1线和D2线共振的线偏光作为抽运光和探测光,用充有缓冲气体的气室进行了实验.实验结果与理论分析一致,均表明只有在一定的光强范围内,增大抽运光光强可以提高磁场灵敏度.且利用这一方法分析了原子的自旋弛豫对磁场灵敏度的影响.这项研究对于深入认识线极化的Bell-Bloom测磁系统,以及如何通过优化系统实现磁场灵敏度的提高具有重要的意义.     

平行线偏光激发CPT共振方案实验研究

目前的相干布居囚禁(CPT)原子钟和CPT磁场计中普遍采用圆偏振光方案 (σ⁺-σ⁺)实现CPT共振, 该方案对原子的利用率较低. 为了提高原子的利用率, 本文实验研究了通过平行线偏振相干双色光与⁸⁷Rb原子作用实现CPT共振的方案(lin//lin). 与σ⁺-σ⁺方案相比较, lin//lin方案消除了极化暗态, 获得更多工作原子. 在相同的实验条件下, 开展对比实验研究获得了信噪比为σ⁺-σ⁺方案2倍, 微分线型信号的中心斜率为σ⁺-σ⁺方案1.65倍的CPT共振信号. 研究结果表明该方案是实现低功耗原子钟、磁场计等设备的理想候选.     

High contrast atomic magnetometer based on coherent population trapping

We present an experimental and theoretical investigation of the coherent population trapping （CPT） resonance excited on the D1 line of 87Rb atoms by bichromatic linearly polarized laser light. The experimental results show that a lin｜｜lin tran- sition scheme is a promising alternative to the conventional circular-circular transition scheme for an atomic magnetometer. Compared with the circular light transition scheme, linear light accounts for high-contrast transmission resonances, which makes this excitation scheme promising for high-sensitivity magnetometers. We also use linear light and circular light to detect changes of a standard magnetic field, separately.     

Transverse relaxation determination based on light polarization modulation for spin-exchange relaxation free atomic magnetometer

A transverse relaxation determination of spin-exchange relaxation free(SERF) magnetometer based on polarization modulation technique is proposed. Compared with the radio-frequency(RF) excitation and light intensity excitation methods used in SERF magnetometer, the light polarization modulation method has a high stability in low-frequency range,which indicates a more accurate transverse relaxation measurement.     

Sub-shot-noise magnetometry with a correlated spin-relaxation dominated alkali-metal vapor

Spin noise sets fundamental limits to the precision of measurements using spin-polarized atomic vapors, such as performed with sensitive atomic magnetometers. Spin squeezing offers the possibility to extend the measurement precision beyond the standard quantum limit of uncorrelated atoms. Contrary to current understanding, we show that, even in the presence of spin relaxation, spin squeezing can lead to a significant reduction of spin noise, and hence an increase in magnetometric sensitivity, for a long measurement time. This is the case when correlated spin relaxation due to binary alkali-atom collisions dominates independently acting decoherence processes, a situation realized in thermal high atom-density magnetometers and clocks.     

Improvement of the spin polarization lifetime in the 85Rb vapor cell by octadecyltrichlorosilane coating

Effective surface coatings allow for long spin polarization in alkali metal cells, suppressing the magnetic field gradient effect and providing an improvement in atomic magnetometer sensitivity. In this work, the effect of an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) surface coating on the longitudinal and transverse spin polarization lifetime of an optically pumped ⁸⁵Rb vapor cell has been studied. Our results showed that the spin polarization lifetime significantly increased in the OTS lined cell compared to the unlined cell. The relaxation rate due to alkali metal atoms wall collisions and the magnetic field gradient has been decreased by using an OTS surface coating. A longer spin polarization lifetime in the lined cell causes a narrower magnetic resonance line width and subsequently a more sensitive atomic magnetometer.