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Microfabricated Spin Polarized Atomic Magnetometers

Ricardo Jiménez-Martínez

Published Jan 1, 2013• 2 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Spin polarized atomic magnetometers involve the preparation of atomic spins and their detection for monitoring magnetic fields. Due to the fact that magnetic fields are ubiquitous in our world, spin polarized atomic magnetometers are used in a wide range of applications from the detection of magnetic fields generated by the human heart and brain to the detection of nuclear magnetic resonance. In this thesis we developed microfabricated spin polarized atomic magnetometers. These sensors are based on optical pumping and spin-exchange collisions between alkali atoms and noble gases contained in microfabricated millimeter-scale vapor cells. In the first part of the thesis, we improved different features of current microfabricated optical magnetometers. Specifically, we improved the bandwidth of these devices, without degrading their magnetic field sensitivity, by broadening their magnetic resonance through spin-exchange collisions between alkali atoms. We also implemented all-optical excitation techniques to avoid problems, such as the magnetic perturbation of the environment, induced by the radio-frequency fields used in some of these sensors. In the second part of the thesis we demonstrated a microfluidic chip for the optical production and detection of hyperpolarized Xe gas through spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped Rb atoms. These devices are critical for the widespread use of spin polarized atomic magnetometers in applications requiring simple, compact, low-cost, and portable instrumentation.

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Applied Physics Letters•Dec 10, 2012•172 citations
Spin polarized atomic magnetometers involve the preparation of atomic spins and their detection for monitoring magnetic fields. Due to the fact that magnetic fields are ubiquitous in our world, spin polarized atomic magnetometers are used in a wide range of applications from the detection of magnetic fields generated by the human heart and brain to the detection of nuclear magnetic resonance. In this thesis we developed microfabricated spin polarized atomic magnetometers. These sensors are based on optical pumping and spin-exchange collisions between alkali atoms and noble gases contained in microfabricated millimeter-scale vapor cells. In the first part of the thesis, we improved different features of current microfabricated optical magnetometers. Specifically, we improved the bandwidth of these devices, without degrading their magnetic field sensitivity, by broadening their magnetic resonance through spin-exchange collisions between alkali atoms. We also implemented all-optical excitation techniques to avoid problems, such as the magnetic perturbation of the environment, induced by the radio-frequency fields used in some of these sensors. In the second part of the thesis we demonstrated a microfluidic chip for the optical production and detection of hyperpolarized Xe gas through spin-exchange collisions with optically pumped Rb atoms. These devices are critical for the widespread use of spin polarized atomic magnetometers in applications requiring simple, compact, low-cost, and portable instrumentation.
Quantum optical sensing is a maturing field that offers the capability to achieve extraor- dinary sensitivity. Atomic magnetometers, for example, now have the capability to detect brain signals and to precisely measure Earth’s gravity field. In optical atomic magnetome- ters, the electronic spins of the atoms in vapor form are aligned in the same direction by “pumping” the ensemble using laser light at a select frequency. Any magnetic field alters the spin states, which changes the optical properties of the vapor, such as the transmission of the laser light, providing a way to measure magnetic fields. After reviewing the theory of atomic structure and atom-light interactions relevant to the research presented here, I describe in the first part of this thesis a vector magnetometry method using microwave-assisted optical pumping, in which a microwave field resonant to the ground state hyperfine splitting of 87Rb pumps an ensemble of warm rubidium vapor, in addition to a strong optical pump beam, and a weaker optical probe beam. I present theoretical details as well as preliminary data demonstrating magnetic field measurements of a DC magnetic field. The measurements were taken when the DC field was aligned at various angles relative to the microwave magnetic field alignment. I compare theoretical and experimental differences in the measurements. With new methods for quantum devices comes the need for portability. In the second part of this thesis, we demonstrate the fabrication of millimeter-sized rubidium vapor cells using silicon micro-machining techniques. This method is relatively inexpensive compared to glass-blowing methods and allows rapid, large-scale production. I describe our process flow and demonstrate the presence of rubidium atoms inside our vapor cells. To conclude, suggestions for improvement are discussed.
We report on the development of a microfabricated atomic magnetic gradiometer based on optical spectroscopy of alkali atoms in the vapor phase. The gradiometer, which operates in the spin-exchange relaxation free regime, has a length of 60 mm and cross sectional diameter of 12 mm, and consists of two chip-scale atomic magnetometers which are interrogated by a common laser light. The sensor can measure differences in magnetic fields, over a 20 mm baseline, of 10 fT/[Formula: see text] at frequencies above 20 Hz. The maximum rejection of magnetic field noise is 1000 at 10 Hz. By use of a set of compensation coils wrapped around the sensor, we also measure the sensor sensitivity at several external bias field strengths up to 150 mG. This device is useful for applications that require both sensitive gradient field information and high common-mode noise cancellation.
We demonstrated a scalar atomic magnetometer using a microfabricated Cs vapor cell. The atomic spin precession is driven by an amplitude-modulated circularly-polarized pump laser resonant on the D1 transition of Cs atoms and detected by an off-resonant linearly-polarized probe laser using a balanced polarimeter setup. Under a magnetic field with amplitude in the Earth's magnetic field range, the magnetometer in the gradiometer mode can reach sensitivities below 150fT/√Hz, which shows that the magnetometer by itself can achieve sub-100fT/√Hz sensitivities. In addition to its high sensitivity, the magnetometer has a bandwidth close to 1 kHz due to the broad magnetic resonance inside the small vapor cell. Our experiment suggests the feasibility of a portable low-power and high-performance magnetometer which can be operated in the Earth's magnetic field. Such a device will greatly reduce the restrictions on the operating environment and expand the range of applications for atomic magnetometers, such as detection of nuclear magnetic resonance in low magnetic fields
We demonstrated a scalar atomic magnetometer using a microfabricated Cs vapor cell. The atomic spin precession is driven by an amplitude-modulated circularly-polarized pump laser resonant on the D1 transition of Cs atoms and detected by an off-resonant linearly-polarized probe laser using a balanced polarimeter setup. Under a magnetic field with amplitude in the Earth's magnetic field range, the magnetometer in the gradiometer mode can reach sensitivities below 150fT/Hz, which shows that the magnetometer by itself can achieve sub-100fT/Hz sensitivities. In addition to its high sensitivity, the magnetometer has a bandwidth close to 1 kHz due to the broad magnetic resonance inside the small vapor cell. Our experiment suggests the feasibility of a portable low-power and high-performance magnetometer which can be operated in the Earth's magnetic field. Such a device will greatly reduce the restrictions on the operating environment and expand the range of applications for atomic magnetometers, such as detection of nuclear magnetic resonance in low magnetic fields.
We demonstrate an optically pumped (87)Rb magnetometer in a microfabricated vapor cell based on a zero-field dispersive resonance generated by optical modulation of the (87)Rb ground state energy levels. The magnetometer is operated in the spin-exchange relaxation-free regime where high magnetic field sensitivities can be achieved. This device can be useful in applications requiring array-based magnetometers where radio frequency magnetic fields can induce cross-talk among adjacent sensors or affect the source of the magnetic field being measured.
We demonstrate an optical magnetometer based on a microfabricated 87Rb vapor cell in a micromachined silicon sensor head. The alkali atom density in the vapor cell is increased by heating the cell with light brought to the sensor through an optical fiber, and absorbed by colored filters attached to the cell windows. A second fiber-optically coupled beam optically pumps and interrogates the atoms. The magnetometer operates on 140 mW of heating power and achieves a sensitivity below 20 fT/√Hz throughout most of the frequency band from 15 Hz to 100 Hz. Such a sensor can measure magnetic fields from the human heart and brain.