A further study is conducted on two factors which respectively influence the sensitivity of optically pumped cesium magnetometer （CsOPM）. The influence of radio frequency （RF） power and the buffer gas pressure on ...A further study is conducted on two factors which respectively influence the sensitivity of optically pumped cesium magnetometer （CsOPM）. The influence of radio frequency （RF） power and the buffer gas pressure on the sensitivity is theoretically analyzed, and some properties are predicted. Based on the established measurement system and the visible Zeeman spectrum, not only is the real influence of these factors studied, but also, under our experimental condition, optimum parameters based on the measured curves are ascertained. The properties of these measured curves match the theoretical result very well. Our research attempts to provide theory reference to help magnetometer designers determine optimum parameters under certain conditions.展开更多
High-sensitivity radio-frequency optically pumped magnetometers (RF-OPMs), working without cryogenic condition, play a critical role in magnetic field imaging(MFI) at low frequencies(e.g., 100 Hz to 1 MHz). We introdu...High-sensitivity radio-frequency optically pumped magnetometers (RF-OPMs), working without cryogenic condition, play a critical role in magnetic field imaging(MFI) at low frequencies(e.g., 100 Hz to 1 MHz). We introduce the principle of operation and recent developments of RF-OPMs and focus on reviewing the MFI applications in magnetic induction tomography, ultralow-field magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic particle imaging. For the applications of RF-OPMs, ranging from industrial monitoring to medical imaging and security screening, the unshielded and portable RF-OPMs(and RF-OPM array)techniques are still under the further development for detecting and scanning over the target object for accomplishing the final three-dimensional imaging, and thus extremely require the abilities of active compensation of the ambient magnetic field and sensor miniaturization in the future.展开更多
Magnetocardiography(MCG)measurement is important for investigating the cardiac biological activities.Traditionally,the extremely weak MCG signal was detected by using superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUID...Magnetocardiography(MCG)measurement is important for investigating the cardiac biological activities.Traditionally,the extremely weak MCG signal was detected by using superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUIDs).As a room-temperature magnetic-field sensor,optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)has shown to have comparable sensitivity to that of SQUIDs,which is very suitable for biomagnetic measurements.In this paper,a synthetic gradiometer was constructed by using two OPMs under spin-exchange relaxation-free(SERF)conditions within a moderate magnetically shielded room(MSR).The magnetic noise of the OPM was measured to less than 70 fT/Hz1/2.Under a baseline of 100 mm,noise cancellation of about 30 dB was achieved.MCG was successfully measured with a signal to noise ratio(SNR)of about 37 dB.The synthetic gradiometer technique was very effective to suppress the residual environmental fields,demonstrating the OPM gradiometer technique for highly cost-effective biomagnetic measurements.展开更多
We demonstrate experimentally an atomic magnetometer based on optical pumping theory, a magnetic resonance that is induced by a radio frequency field and dependent on the magnetic field strength. Compared with the con...We demonstrate experimentally an atomic magnetometer based on optical pumping theory, a magnetic resonance that is induced by a radio frequency field and dependent on the magnetic field strength. Compared with the conventional method using one radiation field, which is used not only as the probe beam but also as a pump beam, the additional re-pump beam can increase remarkably the amplitude of the signal. It is shown that the amplitude of the magnetic field resonance signal can increase more than 55% by using an additional re-pump beam, which makes the sensitivity of the magnetometer higher. Finally, we investigate the relation between amplitude of the signal and re-pump laser power, and calculate the atomic population in the trapping states with rate equations.展开更多
A miniature quad-channel optically pumped atomic magnetometer(OPM) has been developed based on the spinexchange relaxation-free(SERF) mechanism. With a vapor cell of size 8 mm×8 mm×8 mm, we have incorporated...A miniature quad-channel optically pumped atomic magnetometer(OPM) has been developed based on the spinexchange relaxation-free(SERF) mechanism. With a vapor cell of size 8 mm×8 mm×8 mm, we have incorporated four SERF magnetometer channels, which provides sufficient spatial resolution for magnetoencephalography(MEG). The four channels share the same laser beam for the best cancellation of common mode noise due to laser fluctuations. With gradient measurement, the sensitivities of the four sensors are better than 6 fT/Hz^(1/2), which is also good enough for MEG measurement. The vapor cell is heated to 160℃ by a novel nonmagnetic current-heating structure. Our sensor with high spatial resolution and compact size is particularly suitable for MEG systems.展开更多
We observed the steady-state visually evoked potential(SSVEP) from a healthy subject using a compact quad-channel potassium spin exchange relaxation-free(SERF) optically pumped magnetometer(OPM). To this end, 30 s of ...We observed the steady-state visually evoked potential(SSVEP) from a healthy subject using a compact quad-channel potassium spin exchange relaxation-free(SERF) optically pumped magnetometer(OPM). To this end, 30 s of data were collected, and SSVEP-related magnetic responses with signal intensity ranging from 150 fT to 300 f T were observed for all four channels. The corresponding signal to noise ratio(SNR) was in the range of 3.5–5.5. We then used different channels to operate the sensor as a gradiometer. In the specific case of detecting SSVEP, we noticed that the short channel separation distance led to a strongly diminished gradiometer signal. Although not optimal for the case of SSVEP detection, this set-up can prove to be highly useful for other magnetoencephalography(MEG) paradigms that require good noise cancellation.Considering its compactness, low cost, and good performance, the K-SERF sensor has great potential for biomagnetic field measurements and brain-computer interfaces(BCI).展开更多
Optically pumped magnetometers(OPMs)have developed rapidly in the bio-magnetic measurement field,which requires lasers with stable frequency and intensity for high sensitivity.Herein we stabilize a vertical-cavity sur...Optically pumped magnetometers(OPMs)have developed rapidly in the bio-magnetic measurement field,which requires lasers with stable frequency and intensity for high sensitivity.Herein we stabilize a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser(VCSEL)without any additional setup except for the parts of an OPM.The linewidth of the absorption spectrum as a frequency reference is broadened to 40 GHz owing to pressure broadening.To enhance performance,the VCSEL injection current and temperature are tuned simultaneously using a closed-loop control system.The experiments reveal that the VCSEL frequency stability achieves 2×10^(-7) at an average time of 1 s,and the intensity noise is 1×10^(-6)V/Hz^(1/2) at 1-100 Hz.This approach is useful for suppressing OPM noise without additional sensor probe parts.展开更多
Atomic magnetometer （AM） operated in a spin-exchange relaxation-free （SERF） regime features superior sensitivity and non-cryogenic operation, and thus is competitive with the best superconducting quantum interfere...Atomic magnetometer （AM） operated in a spin-exchange relaxation-free （SERF） regime features superior sensitivity and non-cryogenic operation, and thus is competitive with the best superconducting quantum interference devices. Previously, SERF AM with fT/Hz1/2 level sensitivity commonly acted as a single-axis sensor. Here we demonstrate a dual-axis SERF AM capable of simultaneously and independently detecting x-and y-field components with a sensitivity of 20 fT/Hz1/2. As there is no necessity to worry about the cross-talk effects arising from field modulations, the dual-axis scheme proposed here is of particular interest to AM array and hence the biomagnetic applications.展开更多
We propose a dual-mode optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)that can flexibly switch between single-beam modulation mode and double-beam DC mode.Based on a 4 mm×4 mm×4 mm miniaturized vapor cell,the double-beam...We propose a dual-mode optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)that can flexibly switch between single-beam modulation mode and double-beam DC mode.Based on a 4 mm×4 mm×4 mm miniaturized vapor cell,the double-beam DC mode achieves a sensitivity of 7 fT=Hz^(1/2) with probe noise below 4 fT=Hz^(1/2) and working bandwidth over 65 Hz.This mode is designed to precisely measure the noise floor of a mu-metal magnetic shield.The single-beam modulation mode(sensitivity 20 fT=Hz^(1/2))exhibits bandwidth characteristics suitable for biomagnetic measurements.Thus,our design is suitable for a miniaturized OPM with multiple functions,including magnetic-shield background noise measurement and medical imaging.展开更多
Atomic spin relaxation in a vapor cell, which can be characterized by the magnetic resonance linewidth(MRL),is an important parameter that eventually determines the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer. In this paper...Atomic spin relaxation in a vapor cell, which can be characterized by the magnetic resonance linewidth(MRL),is an important parameter that eventually determines the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer. In this paper, we have extensively studied how the pump intensity affects the spin relaxation. The experiment is performed with a cesium vapor cell, and the influence of the pump intensity on MRL is measured at room temperature at zero-field resonance. A simple model with five atomic levels of a Λ-like configuration is discussed theoretically, which can be used to represent the experimental process approximately, and the experimental results can be explained to some extent. Both the experimental and the theoretical results show a nonlinear broadening of the MRL when the pump intensity is increasing. The work helps to understand the mechanism of pump induced atomic spin relaxation in the atomic magnetometers.展开更多
Several critical clinical applications of magnetocardiography(MCG)involve its T wave.The T wave’s accuracy directly affects the diagnostic accuracy of MCG for ischemic heart disease and arrhythmogenic.Tunnel magnetor...Several critical clinical applications of magnetocardiography(MCG)involve its T wave.The T wave’s accuracy directly affects the diagnostic accuracy of MCG for ischemic heart disease and arrhythmogenic.Tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR)attracts attention as a new MCG measurement technique.However,the T waves measured by TMR are often drowned in noise.The accuracy of T waves needs to be discussed to determine the clinical value of MCG measured by TMR.This study uses an improved empirical mode decomposition(EMD)algorithm and averaging to eliminate the noise in the MCG measured by TMR.The MCG signals measured by TMR are compared with MCG measured by the optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)to judge its accuracy.Using the MCG measured by OPM as a reference,the relative errors in time and amplitude of the T wave measured by TMR are 3.4%and 1.8%,respectively.This is the first demonstration that TMR can accurately measure the time and amplitude of MCG T waves.The ability to provide reliable T wave data illustrates the significant clinical application value of TMR in MCG measurement.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11174015)
文摘A further study is conducted on two factors which respectively influence the sensitivity of optically pumped cesium magnetometer （CsOPM）. The influence of radio frequency （RF） power and the buffer gas pressure on the sensitivity is theoretically analyzed, and some properties are predicted. Based on the established measurement system and the visible Zeeman spectrum, not only is the real influence of these factors studied, but also, under our experimental condition, optimum parameters based on the measured curves are ascertained. The properties of these measured curves match the theoretical result very well. Our research attempts to provide theory reference to help magnetometer designers determine optimum parameters under certain conditions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.62375002,62071012,61571018,61531003,and 91436210)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (No.61225003)the National Hi-Tech Research and Development (863) Program。
文摘High-sensitivity radio-frequency optically pumped magnetometers (RF-OPMs), working without cryogenic condition, play a critical role in magnetic field imaging(MFI) at low frequencies(e.g., 100 Hz to 1 MHz). We introduce the principle of operation and recent developments of RF-OPMs and focus on reviewing the MFI applications in magnetic induction tomography, ultralow-field magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic particle imaging. For the applications of RF-OPMs, ranging from industrial monitoring to medical imaging and security screening, the unshielded and portable RF-OPMs(and RF-OPM array)techniques are still under the further development for detecting and scanning over the target object for accomplishing the final three-dimensional imaging, and thus extremely require the abilities of active compensation of the ambient magnetic field and sensor miniaturization in the future.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61701486)。
文摘Magnetocardiography(MCG)measurement is important for investigating the cardiac biological activities.Traditionally,the extremely weak MCG signal was detected by using superconducting quantum interference devices(SQUIDs).As a room-temperature magnetic-field sensor,optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)has shown to have comparable sensitivity to that of SQUIDs,which is very suitable for biomagnetic measurements.In this paper,a synthetic gradiometer was constructed by using two OPMs under spin-exchange relaxation-free(SERF)conditions within a moderate magnetically shielded room(MSR).The magnetic noise of the OPM was measured to less than 70 fT/Hz1/2.Under a baseline of 100 mm,noise cancellation of about 30 dB was achieved.MCG was successfully measured with a signal to noise ratio(SNR)of about 37 dB.The synthetic gradiometer technique was very effective to suppress the residual environmental fields,demonstrating the OPM gradiometer technique for highly cost-effective biomagnetic measurements.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.60925022 and 11104243)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China(Grant No.2012FZA3001)the National Key Basic Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2013CB329501)
文摘We demonstrate experimentally an atomic magnetometer based on optical pumping theory, a magnetic resonance that is induced by a radio frequency field and dependent on the magnetic field strength. Compared with the conventional method using one radiation field, which is used not only as the probe beam but also as a pump beam, the additional re-pump beam can increase remarkably the amplitude of the signal. It is shown that the amplitude of the magnetic field resonance signal can increase more than 55% by using an additional re-pump beam, which makes the sensitivity of the magnetometer higher. Finally, we investigate the relation between amplitude of the signal and re-pump laser power, and calculate the atomic population in the trapping states with rate equations.
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2016YFA0300600 and 2016YFA0301500)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB07030000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11474347)
文摘A miniature quad-channel optically pumped atomic magnetometer(OPM) has been developed based on the spinexchange relaxation-free(SERF) mechanism. With a vapor cell of size 8 mm×8 mm×8 mm, we have incorporated four SERF magnetometer channels, which provides sufficient spatial resolution for magnetoencephalography(MEG). The four channels share the same laser beam for the best cancellation of common mode noise due to laser fluctuations. With gradient measurement, the sensitivities of the four sensors are better than 6 fT/Hz^(1/2), which is also good enough for MEG measurement. The vapor cell is heated to 160℃ by a novel nonmagnetic current-heating structure. Our sensor with high spatial resolution and compact size is particularly suitable for MEG systems.
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2016YFA0300600 and 2016YFA0301500)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant Nos.XDB07030000 and XDBS32000000)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11474347 and 31730039)the Fund from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2015CB351701)
文摘We observed the steady-state visually evoked potential(SSVEP) from a healthy subject using a compact quad-channel potassium spin exchange relaxation-free(SERF) optically pumped magnetometer(OPM). To this end, 30 s of data were collected, and SSVEP-related magnetic responses with signal intensity ranging from 150 fT to 300 f T were observed for all four channels. The corresponding signal to noise ratio(SNR) was in the range of 3.5–5.5. We then used different channels to operate the sensor as a gradiometer. In the specific case of detecting SSVEP, we noticed that the short channel separation distance led to a strongly diminished gradiometer signal. Although not optimal for the case of SSVEP detection, this set-up can prove to be highly useful for other magnetoencephalography(MEG) paradigms that require good noise cancellation.Considering its compactness, low cost, and good performance, the K-SERF sensor has great potential for biomagnetic field measurements and brain-computer interfaces(BCI).
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2018YFB2002405)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61903013)。
文摘Optically pumped magnetometers(OPMs)have developed rapidly in the bio-magnetic measurement field,which requires lasers with stable frequency and intensity for high sensitivity.Herein we stabilize a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser(VCSEL)without any additional setup except for the parts of an OPM.The linewidth of the absorption spectrum as a frequency reference is broadened to 40 GHz owing to pressure broadening.To enhance performance,the VCSEL injection current and temperature are tuned simultaneously using a closed-loop control system.The experiments reveal that the VCSEL frequency stability achieves 2×10^(-7) at an average time of 1 s,and the intensity noise is 1×10^(-6)V/Hz^(1/2) at 1-100 Hz.This approach is useful for suppressing OPM noise without additional sensor probe parts.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61227902,61673041,and 61374210)the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2016YFB0501601)the Academic Excellence Foundation of Beihang University(BUAA)for Ph D Students
文摘Atomic magnetometer （AM） operated in a spin-exchange relaxation-free （SERF） regime features superior sensitivity and non-cryogenic operation, and thus is competitive with the best superconducting quantum interference devices. Previously, SERF AM with fT/Hz1/2 level sensitivity commonly acted as a single-axis sensor. Here we demonstrate a dual-axis SERF AM capable of simultaneously and independently detecting x-and y-field components with a sensitivity of 20 fT/Hz1/2. As there is no necessity to worry about the cross-talk effects arising from field modulations, the dual-axis scheme proposed here is of particular interest to AM array and hence the biomagnetic applications.
基金This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2018YFB2002405)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61903013).
文摘We propose a dual-mode optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)that can flexibly switch between single-beam modulation mode and double-beam DC mode.Based on a 4 mm×4 mm×4 mm miniaturized vapor cell,the double-beam DC mode achieves a sensitivity of 7 fT=Hz^(1/2) with probe noise below 4 fT=Hz^(1/2) and working bandwidth over 65 Hz.This mode is designed to precisely measure the noise floor of a mu-metal magnetic shield.The single-beam modulation mode(sensitivity 20 fT=Hz^(1/2))exhibits bandwidth characteristics suitable for biomagnetic measurements.Thus,our design is suitable for a miniaturized OPM with multiple functions,including magnetic-shield background noise measurement and medical imaging.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2017YFA0304502)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11634008,11674203,11574187,and 61227902)
文摘Atomic spin relaxation in a vapor cell, which can be characterized by the magnetic resonance linewidth(MRL),is an important parameter that eventually determines the sensitivity of an atomic magnetometer. In this paper, we have extensively studied how the pump intensity affects the spin relaxation. The experiment is performed with a cesium vapor cell, and the influence of the pump intensity on MRL is measured at room temperature at zero-field resonance. A simple model with five atomic levels of a Λ-like configuration is discussed theoretically, which can be used to represent the experimental process approximately, and the experimental results can be explained to some extent. Both the experimental and the theoretical results show a nonlinear broadening of the MRL when the pump intensity is increasing. The work helps to understand the mechanism of pump induced atomic spin relaxation in the atomic magnetometers.
基金supported by the Suzhou Tsinghua innovation leading action project(Grant No.2016SZ0217)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2016YFB0500902)。
文摘Several critical clinical applications of magnetocardiography(MCG)involve its T wave.The T wave’s accuracy directly affects the diagnostic accuracy of MCG for ischemic heart disease and arrhythmogenic.Tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR)attracts attention as a new MCG measurement technique.However,the T waves measured by TMR are often drowned in noise.The accuracy of T waves needs to be discussed to determine the clinical value of MCG measured by TMR.This study uses an improved empirical mode decomposition(EMD)algorithm and averaging to eliminate the noise in the MCG measured by TMR.The MCG signals measured by TMR are compared with MCG measured by the optically pumped magnetometer(OPM)to judge its accuracy.Using the MCG measured by OPM as a reference,the relative errors in time and amplitude of the T wave measured by TMR are 3.4%and 1.8%,respectively.This is the first demonstration that TMR can accurately measure the time and amplitude of MCG T waves.The ability to provide reliable T wave data illustrates the significant clinical application value of TMR in MCG measurement.
