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.     

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.     

Miniature quad-channel spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometer for magnetoencephalography

A miniature quad-channel optically pumped atomic magnetometer(OPM) has been developed based on the spinexchange relaxation-free(SERF) mechanism. With a vapor cell of size 8 mm×8 mm×8 mm, we have incorporated four SERF magnetometer channels, which provides sufficient spatial resolution for magnetoencephalography(MEG). The four channels share the same laser beam for the best cancellation of common mode noise due to laser fluctuations. With gradient measurement, the sensitivities of the four sensors are better than 6 fT/Hz~(1/2), which is also good enough for MEG measurement. The vapor cell is heated to 160℃ by a novel nonmagnetic current-heating structure. Our sensor with high spatial resolution and compact size is particularly suitable for MEG systems.     

Quantum Zeno effect in atomic spin-exchange collisions

The suppression of spin-exchange relaxation in dense alkali-metal vapors discovered in 1973 and governing modern atomic magnetometers is here reformulated in terms of quantum measurement theory and the quantum Zeno effect. This provides a new perspective of understanding decoherence in spin-polarized atomic vapors.     

In-situ measurement of magnetic field gradient in a magnetic shield by a spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometer

A method of measuring in-situ magnetic field gradient is proposed in this paper.The magnetic shield is widely used in the atomic magnetometer.However,there is magnetic field gradient in the magnetic shield,which would lead to additional gradient broadening.It is impossible to use an ex-situ magnetometer to measure magnetic field gradient in the region of a cell,whose length of side is several centimeters.The method demonstrated in this paper can realize the in-situ measurement of the magnetic field gradient inside the cell,which is significant for the spin relaxation study.The magnetic field gradients along the longitudinal axis of the magnetic shield are measured by a spin-exchange relaxation-free(SERF) magnetometer by adding a magnetic field modulation in the probe beam's direction.The transmissivity of the cell for the probe beam is always inhomogeneous along the pump beam direction,and the method proposed in this paper is independent of the intensity of the probe beam,which means that the method is independent of the cell's transmissivity.This feature makes the method more practical experimentally.Moreover,the AC-Stark shift can seriously degrade and affect the precision of the magnetic field gradient measurement.The AC-Stark shift is suppressed by locking the pump beam to the resonance of potassium's D1 line.Furthermore,the residual magnetic fields are measured with +-σ-and σ-polarized pump beams,which can further suppress the effect of the AC-Stark shift.The method of measuring in-situ magnetic field gradient has achieved a magnetic field gradient precision of better than 30 p T/mm.     

全光学高灵敏度铷原子磁力仪的研究

报道了一种全光学的高灵敏度铷原子磁力仪.其原理是基于激光束与处于微弱磁场中的铷原子的相互作用.这种相互作用与铷原子所处的环境中的磁场有关,因而通过测量透过铷原子气体的激光强度的变化可以获得磁场信息.分析了该磁力仪的工作原理,建立了相应的实验装置,并对其性能进行了测试.结果表明实验结果与理论相符合.进一步研究了影响磁力仪灵敏度的一些因素,提出了优化各参数来提高磁力仪灵敏度的方法.     

A laser pump-re-pump atomic magnetometer

We demonstrate experimentally an atomic magnetometer based on optical pumping theory, a magnetic resonance that is induced by a radio frequency field and dependent on the magnetic field strength. Compared with the conventional method using one radiation field, which is used not only as the probe beam but also as a pump beam, the additional re-pump beam can increase remarkably the amplitude of the signal. It is shown that the amplitude of the magnetic field resonance signal can increase more than 55% by using an additional re-pump beam, which makes the sensitivity of the magnetometer higher. Finally, we investigate the relation between amplitude of the signal and re-pump laser power, and calculate the atomic population in the trapping states with rate equations.     

Wall relaxation of 3He in spin-exchange cells

The 3He longitudinal spin-relaxation rate T1-1 is crucial for production of highly polarized 3He by spin-exchange optical pumping. We show that T1-1 is increased by a factor of 2-20 solely by exposure of spin-exchange cells to a few-kG magnetic field. The original T1-1 can be restored by degaussing the cell. The effect is attributed to magnetic surface sites and has been observed in both Pyrex and aluminosilicate-glass cells. Our results both advance the understanding of wall relaxation and demonstrate the use of 3He as an extremely sensitive probe of surface magnetism.     

NMR detection with an atomic magnetometer

We demonstrate detection of NMR signals using a noncryogenic atomic magnetometer and describe several novel applications of this technique. A nuclear spin-precession signal from water is detected using a spin-exchange-relaxation-free potassium magnetometer. We also demonstrate detection of less than 10(13) 129Xe atoms whose NMR signal is enhanced by a factor of 540 due to Fermi-contact interaction with K atoms. The possibility of using a multichannel atomic magnetometer for fast 3D magnetic resonance imaging is also discussed.     

A dual-axis,high-sensitivity atomic magnetometer

Atomic magnetometer(AM) operated in a spin-exchange relaxation-free(SERF) regime features superior sensitivity and non-cryogenic operation, and thus is competitive with the best superconducting quantum interference devices.Previously, SERF AM with f T/Hz~(1/2) level sensitivity commonly acted as a single-axis sensor. Here we demonstrate a dual-axis SERF AM capable of simultaneously and independently detecting x-and y-field components with a sensitivity of 20 f T/Hz~(1/2). As there is no necessity to worry about the cross-talk effects arising from field modulations, the dual-axis scheme proposed here is of particular interest to AM array and hence the biomagnetic applications.     

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.     

抽运-检测型原子磁力仪对电流源噪声的测量

用于在宽量程范围内标定原子磁力仪的灵敏度的复现磁场通常由精密电流源和标准线圈产生,电流源噪声将直接影响原子磁力仪在宽量程范围内标定的灵敏度.本文基于抽运-检测型原子磁力仪首先提出抑制复现磁场漂移的磁补偿方法,其次开展宽量程范围内电流源的噪声和原子磁力仪的灵敏度之间依赖关系的研究.研究结果表明,抽运-检测型原子磁力仪的灵敏度主要由电流源噪声决定,因此可用特定磁场下的灵敏度估算电流源在对应输出电流条件下的电流噪声.本文研究对弱磁传感器灵敏度指标的标定、高精度电流源的研制、磁感应强度计量和电流计量的协同发展都具有参考价值.     

提高激光抽运铯原子磁力仪灵敏度的研究

本文报道了一种基于激光抽运射频共振的铯原子磁力仪. 通过圆偏振光将铯原子抽运到暗态, 实现偏极化. 外磁场存在时, 原子磁矩将以拉莫尔频率绕外磁场进动. 在共振射频磁场的作用下, 原子被去极化而重新吸收光子. 通过探测出射光光谱可以测得拉莫尔频率进而得到外磁场的信息. 本文通过运用自制的894 nm 外腔半导体激光器, 建立了激光稳频装置和低噪声磁场测量环境, 实现了一种基于铯原子激光抽运射频共振的磁力仪. 通过磁力仪参数优化以及闭环测量, 磁力仪测量的外磁场达到了19 fT/Hz^1/2的极限灵敏度和1.8 pT/Hz^1/2的本征灵敏度, 空间分辨率小于2 cm. 关键词： 光抽运 塞曼效应 光探测磁共振 磁力仪     

Tunable atomic magnetometer for detection of radio-frequency magnetic fields

We describe an alkali-metal magnetometer for detection of weak magnetic fields in the radio-frequency (rf) range. High sensitivity is achieved by tuning the Zeeman resonance of alkali atoms to the rf frequency and partially suppressing spin-exchange collisions in the alkali-metal vapor. We demonstrate magnetic field sensitivity of 2 fT/Hz(1/2) at a frequency of 99 kHz with a resonance width of 400 Hz. We also derive a simple analytic expression for the fundamental limit on the sensitivity of the rf magnetometer and show that a sensitivity of about 0.01 fT/Hz(1/2) can be achieved in a practical system with a measurement volume of 200 cm3.     

Detection of NMR signals with a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer

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.     

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 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.