Atomic Magnetometry

Ultra-sensitive magnetometers can be used in diverse applications ranging from brain/heart imaging to mineral and geomagnetic surveys. By using ultra-sensitive magnetometers, it is also possible to envision performing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without using large and expensive magnets, which can significantly decrease the cost of NMR and MRI machines while increasing their portability. Such magnetometers can also be used to probe the nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) of various chemicals, which can be useful for pharmaceutical control applications, as well as in explosives or narcotics detection.

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Here at Quantum Technologies for Engineering, we are developing alkali atomic magnetometers as the next-generation of ultra-sensitive magnetometers that are capable of reaching fT/sqrt(Hz) sensitivities without needing the cryogenic cooling that current state-of-the-art Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) require. This translates to significant cost-savings and flexibility in operation, which can not only enhance many of the applications listed above, but also unlock heretofore unexplored applications.

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Interested to learn more? Contact Junyi Lee for more details!