%0 Journal Article %J Physical Review A %D 2008 %T Submillimeter-resolution magnetic resonance imaging at the Earth's magnetic field with an atomic magnetometer %A Xu, S. %A Crawford, C. W. %A Rochester, S. %A Yashchuk, V. %A Budker, D. %A Pines, A. %K nmr %X

Magnetic resonance imaging in the Earth's magnetic field is achieved using a sensitive atomic magnetometer for detection. We demonstrate images with a submillimeter resolution by recording the flow of two water paths meeting at a T-shaped mixer. The high homogeneity of the Earth's field allows the use of weak gradient fields which circumvent the concomitant-field effect. To distinguish the two input channels, we employed selective polarization, which is a unique and noninvasive labeling method for low-field magnetic resonance imaging. Our technique imposes minimal physical constraints on the object under study, in contrast to conventional high-field magnetic resonance imaging. This technique is applicable for microfluidic imaging in laboratory-on-a-chip devices.

%B Physical Review A %V 78 %8 Jul %@ 1050-2947 %G English %U ://WOS:000258180300141 %N 1 %M WOS:000258180300141 %! Submillimeter-resolution magnetic resonance imaging at the Earth's magnetic field with an atomic magnetometer %R Doi 10.1103/Physreva.78.013404