Emission of nuclear quadrupole resonance from polycrystalline hexamethylenetetramine

The angular dependence of the nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signal intensity emitted from polycrystalline hexamethylenetetramine has been analytically investigated for all directions for non-contact detection of chemicals by nuclear quadrupole resonance. The field pattern of the NQR signal from a column sample was measured. The emitted patterns were the same as that from a united single magnetic dipole, which fitted well to the estimation based on quadrupole principle axis system. This result is helpful to design an antenna for NQR remote detection.     

Modified multipulse technique for the effective detection of pure nuclear quadrupole resonance

Modification of the steady-state free precession (SSFP) multipulse technique for the effective detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals was studied. This modification is based on the use of the preparatory pulse in the SSFP pulse sequences. It was shown that under certain conditions the total intensity of accumulated NQR signal can be increased. Experimental results of applying the proposed technique to nitrogen-14 NQR in the sample of sodium nitrite (NaNO₂) are presented and convincingly demonstrate the technique’s effectiveness.     

Modified steady-state free precession pulse sequences for the detection of pure nuclear quadrupole resonance

Modifications of the steady-state free precession multi-pulse technique for the effective detection of the nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signals are proposed. These modifications are based on the use of composite pulses and enable the suppression of the coherent noise signals such as the magneto-acoustic and piezo-electric signals or the ringing signal from the NQR probe. Experimental results of applying the proposed technique to nitrogen-14 NQR in the sample of C6H12N4 are also presented and convincingly demonstrate its effectiveness.     

Photon-echo detected nuclear quadrupole resonance spectroscopy

Rare-earth-ion-doped crystals (REICs) have played an important role in quantum information processing due to their excellent coherent properties. In order to obtain the information regarding the hyperfine structures of the rare-earth ions in REICs, optically detected nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) techniques based on RF resonance and various optical detection methods are widely employed in previous works. Here we demonstrate a new method of NQR spectroscopy based on the photon-echo detection. The hyperfine spectra of the ground state (⁷F₀) and the optically-excited state (⁵D₀) of ¹⁵¹Eu³⁺ in Y₂SiO₅ at zero field are obtained. This method can determine the hyperfine splittings within the ground state and the optically-excited state and is shown to be robust against electrical noise. Our results provide an alternative way for optical detection of NMR and NQR with high signal-to-noise ratio.     

The two-frequency nuclear quadrupole resonance for explosives detection

The two-frequency nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) of¹⁴N nuclei is described for purposes of explosives detection. Two applications are known: two-frequency NQR for increasing the signal intensity, two-frequency NQR for improved reliability of explosives detection. The two-frequency experiments were carried out in hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-s-triazine C₃H₆N₆O₆ and sodium nitrite NaNO₂ as a substitute for octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocycine C₄H₈N₈O₈. The two-frequency sequences for NQR are proposed for increasing the amplitude of NQR signal and improvement of detection condition.     

Optimal filtering in multipulse sequences for nuclear quadrupole resonance detection

The application of the multipulse sequences in nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) detection of explosive and narcotic substances has been studied. Various approaches to increase the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of signal detection are considered. We discussed two modifications of the phase-alternated multiple-pulse sequence (PAMS): the 180° pulse sequence with a preparatory pulse and the 90° pulse sequence. The advantages of optimal filtering to detect NQR in the case of the coherent steady-state precession have been analyzed. It has been shown that this technique is effective in filtering high-frequency and low-frequency noise and increasing the reliability of NQR detection. Our analysis also shows the PAMS with 180° pulses is more effective than PSL sequence from point of view of the application of optimal filtering procedure to the steady-state NQR signal.     

Special features of remote observations of weak signals from 14N nuclear quadrupole resonance

The case of excitation of nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) in nitrogen-containing compounds is examined for significant sample removal under conditions of strong dispersion of the registered signal. Principal limitations on the sensitivity of remote NQR observations are demonstrated. A method of registering resonant lines after fading of the main signal is suggested. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 8–11, August, 2008.     

Noise-resilient multi-frequency surface sensor for nuclear quadrupole resonance

A planar nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) sensor has been developed. The sensor is resilient to environmental noise and is capable of simultaneous independent multi-frequency operation. The device was constructed as an open multimodal birdcage structure, in which the higher modes, generally not used in magnetic resonance, are utilized for NQR detection. These modes have smooth distributions of the amplitudes of the corresponding radiofrequency magnetic fields everywhere along the sensor’s surface. The phases of the fields, on the other hand, are cyclically shifted across the sensor’s surface. Noise signals coming from distant sources, therefore, induce equal-magnitude cyclically phase-shifted currents in different parts of the sensor. When such cyclically phase-shifted currents arrive at the mode connection point, they destructively interfere with each other and are cancelled out. NQR signals of polycrystalline or disordered substances, however, are efficiently detected by these modes because they are insensitive to the phases of the excitation/detection. No blind spots exist along the sensor’s surface. The sensor can be used for simultaneous detection of one or more substances in locations with environmental noise.     

利用核四极矩共振技术探测炸药

介绍了用核四极矩共振的原理进行爆炸危险物品检测的方法及实验测试系统. 该系统运用特殊的激励信号来激发被检测样品中所含的特殊元素¹⁴N（炸药的主要成分）,使其产生核四极矩共振,并产生辐射,从而达到检测的目的. 由于该辐射信号的能量非常小(10 nV量级）,在通常的环境中很难检测该信号, 这就对此弱信号的检测和提取提出了很高的要求. 本测试系统使用了一系列有效的组合激励信号及弱信号采集、处理技术,在通常环境中成功地检测到了RDX（黑索金）信号.     

Optimised NQR pulse technique for the effective detection of Heroin Base

The nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) method has been applied to Heroin Base (HB) to find an optimised multi-pulse technique for effective detection of HB. Experimental results of applying the proposed spin-locking multi-pulse (SLMP) technique to nitrogen-14 NQR in this sample are presented and convincingly demonstrate as a path towards efficient detection. A detection using a sequence of this character could be achieved over real-world scan volumes for screening of goods. All experiments were carried out at room temperature.     

Improving N nuclear quadrupole resonance detection of trinitrotoluene using off-resonance effects

The off-resonance dependence of the amplitudes of the six dominant ¹⁴N nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) lines in commercial polymorphic trinitrotoluene (TNT) sample were experimentally determined for a wide range of experimental parameters when irradiated with the spin-lock spin-echo (SLSE) pulse sequence. We find that the amplitudes off-resonance dependence follows a sinc-like function with an additional modulation due to the spacing between the RF pulses. This dependence can be very well modeled with expressions we have derived for a single site ¹⁴N NQR in paranitrotoluene (PNT). The results can be immediately used for the reduction of the number of free parameters used in the robust signal processing models for the TNT NQR detectors.     

Polarization enhancement technique for nuclear quadrupole resonance detection

We demonstrate a dramatic increase in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) signal by using a polarization enhancement technique. By first applying a static magnetic field to pre-polarize one spin subsystem of a material, and then allowing that net polarization to be transferred to the quadrupole subsystem, we increased the SNR of a sample of ammonium nitrate by one-order of magnitude.     

A bi-symmetric square wave Zeeman modulator for nuclear quadrupole resonance.

A simple circuit has been designed to generate a bi-symmetric square wave Zeeman modulation for the detection of nuclear quadrupole resonance. The square waveform not only provides an optimum result among bi-symmetric modulation waveforms, but also allows the observation of the Zeeman perturbed NQR powder pattern without the need for an extra external magnetic field.     

Detection of ammonium nitrate inside vehicles by nuclear quadrupole resonance

The development of a system for the detection of ammonium nitrate (AN) in vehicles by nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) is described. The results from studies of the penetration of radiofrequency (RF) magnetic fields inside certain metal enclosures, including full-scale vehicles, were critical in the design of a novel high-Q resonant probe. The probe was shaped not only for optimal penetration of RF magnetic fields into vehicles, but also for optimal rejection of RF interference and ease of shielding. A full-scale technical demonstrator was designed, built and successfully demonstrated, using novel pulse sequences to generate and detect NQR signals from AN concealed within the boot (trunk) of a car and in the loading bay of a (metal-sided) van. Among the key technical advances that made possible the effective operation of this system was the development of pulse sequences that generate detectable NQR responses for RF magnetic fields that are both very weak and very inhomogeneous.     

Spatially resolved NQR.

Pure nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) was combined with a rotating-frame imaging technique (rho NQRI). The method is suitable for powdery or crystalline materials containing quadrupole nuclei. The spatial information is encoded in the amplitudes of the free-induction decays (FIDs) by gradients of the radio frequency amplitude of the excitation pulse. The pulse length is incremented in a series of experiments so that a pseudo-FID can be formed from the intensities of a selected NQR line. A deconvolution procedure is used for the analysis of the pseudo-FIDs. The result is a sample profile along the gradient direction. The technique is particularly suitable for the detection of the spatial distribution of physical parameters producing NQR line shifts. Examples are stress or temperature. Two-dimensional images can be produced by rotating the sample step by step. For each orientation a profile across the sample is evaluated. A backprojection reconstruction formalism then permits the rendering of two-dimensional NQR images.     

Spin 3/2 Zeeman perturbed NQR in the presence of slow sample rotation

Theoretical and experimental results are presented for the case of Zeeman perturbed nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) using spin-3/2 nuclei with a small Zeeman interaction, gammaB0, while the sample is very slowly rotated. It is found that the decay envelope for a simple two-pulse echo measurement can be strongly affected even though the sample may rotate only a few degrees or less during the course of the measurement. To lowest order the decay envelope can be described using a one dimensional function of the product of gammaB0, the rotation rate, and the square of the pulse spacing. Aside from an indirect and weak dependence on the quadrupole asymmetry parameter, eta, the result is independent of the NQR frequency. Identical results are expected for a stationary sample in a small rotating magnetic field. The effect seen here may be used to advantage to measure rotational motion, for example of particles in fluids, or may be an additional complication for some Zeeman perturbed NQR measurements, including some NQR detection and imaging methods.     

Determination of the electric field gradient asymmetry from 2D nutation NQR spectra of 75As nuclei in oriented samples of As2Se3 semiconductor

The method of two-dimensional nutation nuclear quadrupole resonance in time domain is used to study the chalcogenide semiconductor As(2)Se(3). In this system, the nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) resonance line width is as large as 10 MHz; therefore, the radiofrequency field produced by a pulsed NQR spectrometer can excite only a portion of the nuclear spins. The proposed method relies on polarizing the melted glass specimen in a strong magnetic field so that orientational disorder is partially removed. After hardening the sample is placed in a spectrometer r.f. coil in such a way that that the axes of sample polarization and r.f. coil coincide. We demonstrate the application of this method to determine eta in glassy As(2)Se(3).     

NQR炸药探测系统中射频线圈的设计研究

基于核四极矩共振(Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance, NQR)炸药探测原理,对探测系统中拾取信号的关键部件射频线圈进行了优化设计,并确定了小型螺线管型线圈的直径、长度和匝数. 试验测试表明,此线圈射频场均匀性好、信噪比大、灵敏度高,可以快速准确探测到NQR信号,验证了线圈设计理论的有效性和制作方法的可行性. 该设计方法对提高隐藏炸药探测的准确率以及不同试验条件下射频线圈的设计具有重要意义.     

Superconductivity and magnetic fluctuations in Cd(2))Re(2)O(7) via Cd nuclear magnetic resonance and re nuclear quadrupole resonance

We report Cd nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Re nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) studies on Cd(2)Re(2)O(7), the first superconductor among pyrochlore oxides (T(c) approximately 1 K). The Re NQR spectrum at zero magnetic field below 100 K rules out any magnetic or charge order. The spin-lattice relaxation rate below T(c) exhibits a pronounced coherence peak and follows the weak-coupling BCS theory with nearly isotropic energy gap. The results of Cd NMR point to a moderate ferromagnetic enhancement at high temperatures followed by a rapid decrease of the density of states below the structural transition temperature of 200 K.     

爆炸物检测中NQR信号的处理及判识

介绍了基于核四极矩技术的爆炸物检测原理及信号处理方法.系统分析了NQR信号检测中主要误差来源,提出多种方法消除NQR信号处理中检测误差,主要包括相关累加消除随机噪声;单通道自适应消除振铃影响;相关性检测抑制同频干扰.实验表明相关检测可有效提高NQR信号信噪比,提高微弱NQR信号检测的准确性.