%0 Journal Article %J Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America %D 2008 %T Zero-field remote detection of NMR with a microfabricated atomic magnetometer %A Ledbetter, M. P. %A Savukov, I. M. %A Budker, D. %A Shah, V. %A Knappe, S. %A Kitching, J. %A Michalak, D. J. %A Xu, S. %A Pines, A. %K mri %X

We demonstrate remote detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with a microchip sensor consisting of a microfluidic channel and a microfabricated vapor cell (the heart of an atomic magnetometer). Detection occurs at zero magnetic field, which allows operation of the magnetometer in the spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) regime and increases the proximity of sensor and sample by eliminating the need for a solenoid to create a leading field. We achieve pulsed NMR linewidths of 26 Hz, limited, we believe, by the residence time and flow dispersion in the encoding region. In a fully optimized system, we estimate that for 1 s of integration, 7 x 10(13) protons in a volume of 1 mm(3), prepolarized in a 10-kG field, can be detected with a signal-to-noise ratio of approximate to 3. This level of sensitivity is competitive with that demonstrated by microcoils in 100-kG magnetic fields, without requiring superconducting magnets.

%B Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America %V 105 %P 2286-2290 %8 Feb 19 %@ 0027-8424 %G English %U ://WOS:000253469900009 %N 7 %M WOS:000253469900009 %! Zero-field remote detection of NMR with a microfabricated atomic magnetometer %R Doi 10.1073/Pnas.0711505105