%0 Journal Article %J Applied Physics Letters %D 2006 %T Application of atomic magnetometry in magnetic particle detection %A Xu, S. %A Donaldson, M. H. %A Pines, A. %A Rochester, S. M. %A Budker, D. %A Yashchuk, V. V. %K system %X

The authors demonstrate the detection of magnetic particles carried by water in a continuous flow using an atomic magnetic gradiometer. Studies on three types of magnetic particles are presented: a single cobalt particle (diameter similar to 150 mu m, multidomain), a suspension of superparamagnetic magnetite particles (diameter similar to 1 mu m), and ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles (diameter similar to 10 nm). Estimated detection limits are 20 mu m diameter for a single cobalt particle at a water flow rate of 30 ml/min, 5x10(3) magnetite particles at 160 ml/min, and 50 pl for the ferromagnetic fluid of cobalt nanoparticles at 130 ml/min. Possible applications of their method are discussed.

%B Applied Physics Letters %V 89 %8 Nov 27 %@ 0003-6951 %G English %U ://WOS:000242538500151 %N 22 %M WOS:000242538500151 %! Application of atomic magnetometry in magnetic particle detection %R Doi 10.1063/1.2400077 %0 Journal Article %J Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America %D 2006 %T Magnetic resonance imaging with an optical atomic magnetometer %A Xu, S. J. %A Yashchuk, V. V. %A Donaldson, M. H. %A Rochester, S. M. %A Budker, D. %A Pines, A. %K gas %X

We report an approach for the detection of magnetic resonance imaging without superconducting magnets and cryogenics: optical atomic magnetometry. This technique possesses a high sensitivity independent of the strength of the static magnetic field, extending the applicability of magnetic resonance imaging to low magnetic fields and eliminating imaging artifacts associated with high fields. By coupling with a remote-detection scheme, thereby improving the filling factor of the sample, we obtained time-resolved flow images of water with a temporal resolution of 0.1 s and spatial resolutions of 1.6 mm perpendicular to the flow and 4.5 mm along the flow. Potentially inexpensive, compact, and mobile, our technique provides a viable alternative for MRI detection with substantially enhanced sensitivity and time resolution for various situations where traditional MRI is not optimal.

%B Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America %V 103 %P 12668-12671 %8 Aug 22 %@ 0027-8424 %G English %U ://WOS:000240035900006 %N 34 %M WOS:000240035900006 %! Magnetic resonance imaging with an optical atomic magnetometer %R Doi 10.1073/Pnas.0605396103 %0 Journal Article %J Physical Review Letters %D 2004 %T Hyperpolarized xenon nuclear spins detected by optical atomic magnetometry %A Yashchuk, V. V. %A Granwehr, J. %A Kimball, D. F. %A Rochester, S. M. %A Trabesinger, A. H. %A Urban, J. T. %A Budker, D. %A Pines, A. %K mri %X

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 cm(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 similar to10 nG induced by the xenon sample on the 10 cm diameter atomic sensor is detected with signal-to-noise ratio similar to10, 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.

%B Physical Review Letters %V 93 %8 Oct 15 %@ 0031-9007 %G English %U ://WOS:000224533300012 %N 16 %M WOS:000224533300012 %! Hyperpolarized xenon nuclear spins detected by optical atomic magnetometry %R Doi 10.1103/Physrevlett.93.160801