Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Quantum Information and Measurement (QIM)

A femtotesla quantum-noise-limited pulsed gradiometer at finite fields

Vito Giovanni Lucivero, Wonjae Lee, Mark E. Limes, Elizabeth L. Foley, Thomas W. Kornack, Michael V. Romalis

Published Jan 1, 2019• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe an optically pumped atomic gradiometer operating at finite fields, including Earth’s field, with 14 fT / Hz Hz sensitivity. We demonstrate its quantum-noise-limited behaviour in the presence of quantum spin noise and atomic diffusion.
DOI
10.1364/qim.2019.t3c.3

Related papers

Femtotesla Nearly-Quantum-Noise-Limited Pulsed Gradiometer at Earth-Scale Fields

Vito Giovanni Lucivero, Wonjae Lee, Mark E. Limes +3 more

Applications of optical magnetometers in demanding environments require a high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) to effectively suppress ambient noise, but challenges still remain to achieve experimental sensitivity at the quantum noise level. The authors develop a compact magnetic gradiometer featuring a high CMRR and a differential sensitivity of tens of femtoteslas over a broad dynamic range, including Earth's field magnitude. This gradiometer is also nearly quantum-noise-limited, which is compatible with quantum enhancement techniques in geomagnetic fields and can be used in unshielded environments such as space science, navigation, and biomedicine.

arXiv:2112.09004•Physical Review Applied•Aug 12, 2022•49 citations

All-optical intrinsic atomic gradiometer with sub-20 fT/cm/√Hz sensitivity in a 22 µT earth-scale magnetic field

Abigail R. Perry, Michael Bulatowicz, M. Larsen +2 more

In this work we demonstrate a high sensitivity atomic gradiometer capable of operation in earth-field level environments. We apply a light-pulse sequence at four times the Larmor frequency to achieve gradiometer sensitivity <20 fT/cm/ H z at the finite field strength of 22 µT. The experimental timing sequence can be tuned to the field magnitude of interest. Our all-optical scalar gradiometer performs a differential measurement between two regions of a single vapor cell on a 4 cm baseline. Our results pave the way for extensions to operation in higher dimensions, vector sensitivity, and more advanced gradiometers.

arXiv:2008.13234•Optics Express•Nov 10, 2020•38 citations

An atomic magnetic gradiometer with 1/τ uncertainty property based on the self-sustaining method

Qin Zhao, Boling Fan, Shiguang Wang +1 more

The magnetic field is one of the most important physical observables with about all electromagnetic information. Larmor precession atomic magnetometers based on optical pumping experienced considerable attention recently. However, the sensitivity of this kind of atomic magnetometers is limited by their spin coherence time and the systematic noise. Here, we propose a self-sustaining atomic magnetic gradiometer that shows a superior 1/τ behavior in the magnetic field uncertainty measurement over time. The gradiometer is implemented by mixing and filtering the different frequency signals from two adjacent spin self-sustaining magnetometers with a baseline equal to 1 cm. The common-mode noise is suppressed and a gradient sensitivity of 200 fT/(√Hz=cm) is realized, being close to the shot noise limit.

International Conference on Photonics and Optical Engineering•Jan 24, 2019•0 citations

A microfabricated optically-pumped magnetic gradiometer

D. Sheng, Abigail R. Perry, Sean Krzyzewski +3 more

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.

arXiv:1701.03236•Applied Physics Letters•Jan 16, 2017•179 citations

Femtotesla atomic magnetometer with counter-propagating optical sideband pumping

Jin Peng, An‐Ning Xu, Bei Liu

The ultrasensitive magnetometer has a vital importance in fundamental research and applications. Currently, the spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometer has been reported with a sensitivity around the level of fT/Hz 1/2 . To enhance the sensitivity, a gradiometer configuration has usually been introduced to cancel the common-mode noise between two separate channels. However, the signal and response from different channels are not the same due to the attenuation of the pump beam. Here, we proposed a counter-propagating optical sideband pumping method to polarize the atoms, using the electro-optic modulator to modulate the single-pump beam, generating two symmetrically red- and blue-detuned sidebands of frequency. This scheme leads to a significant reduction of undesirable effects coming along with the optical pumping, such as light shifts and spatial inhomogeneity in atomic spin polarization. With the help of this pumping scheme, the two channels have the same magnetic response, and we have built a gradiometer atomic magnetometer with a sensitivity of 0.5 fT/Hz 1/2 ranging from 5 to 40 Hz. Our results propose the possibility of creating larger arrays of atomic magnetometers (AMs) with high sensitivity and spatial resolution based on single-vapor cells for magnetocardiography and magnetoencephalography imaging or searching for exotic spin-dependent interactions.

Optics Letters•Oct 9, 2024•10 citations

Quantum magnetic gradiometer with entangled twin light beams

Shuhe Wu, Guzhi Bao, Jinxian Guo +6 more

In the past few decades, optical magnetometry has experienced remarkable development and reached to an outstanding sensitivity. For magnetometry based on optical readout of atomic ensemble, the fundamental limitation of sensitivity is restricted by spin projection noise and photon shot noise. Meanwhile, in practical applications, ambient magnetic noise also greatly limits the sensitivity. To achieve the best sensitivity, it is essential to find an efficacious way to eliminate the noises from different sources, simultaneously. Here, we demonstrate a quantum magnetic gradiometer with sub-shot-noise sensitivity using entangled twin beams with differential detection. The quantum enhancement spans a frequency range from 7 Hz to 6 MHz with maximum squeezing of 5.5 dB below the quantum noise limit. The sensitivity of gradiometer reaches 18 fT/cm[Formula: see text] at 20 Hz. Our study inspires future possibilities to use quantum-enhanced technology in developing sensitive magnetometry for practical applications in noisy and physically demanding environments.

Science Advances•Apr 12, 2023•48 citations
Applications of optical magnetometers in demanding environments require a high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) to effectively suppress ambient noise, but challenges still remain to achieve experimental sensitivity at the quantum noise level. The authors develop a compact magnetic gradiometer featuring a high CMRR and a differential sensitivity of tens of femtoteslas over a broad dynamic range, including Earth's field magnitude. This gradiometer is also nearly quantum-noise-limited, which is compatible with quantum enhancement techniques in geomagnetic fields and can be used in unshielded environments such as space science, navigation, and biomedicine.
In this work we demonstrate a high sensitivity atomic gradiometer capable of operation in earth-field level environments. We apply a light-pulse sequence at four times the Larmor frequency to achieve gradiometer sensitivity <20 fT/cm/ H z at the finite field strength of 22 µT. The experimental timing sequence can be tuned to the field magnitude of interest. Our all-optical scalar gradiometer performs a differential measurement between two regions of a single vapor cell on a 4 cm baseline. Our results pave the way for extensions to operation in higher dimensions, vector sensitivity, and more advanced gradiometers.
The magnetic field is one of the most important physical observables with about all electromagnetic information. Larmor precession atomic magnetometers based on optical pumping experienced considerable attention recently. However, the sensitivity of this kind of atomic magnetometers is limited by their spin coherence time and the systematic noise. Here, we propose a self-sustaining atomic magnetic gradiometer that shows a superior 1/τ behavior in the magnetic field uncertainty measurement over time. The gradiometer is implemented by mixing and filtering the different frequency signals from two adjacent spin self-sustaining magnetometers with a baseline equal to 1 cm. The common-mode noise is suppressed and a gradient sensitivity of 200 fT/(√Hz=cm) is realized, being close to the shot noise limit.
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.
The ultrasensitive magnetometer has a vital importance in fundamental research and applications. Currently, the spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometer has been reported with a sensitivity around the level of fT/Hz 1/2 . To enhance the sensitivity, a gradiometer configuration has usually been introduced to cancel the common-mode noise between two separate channels. However, the signal and response from different channels are not the same due to the attenuation of the pump beam. Here, we proposed a counter-propagating optical sideband pumping method to polarize the atoms, using the electro-optic modulator to modulate the single-pump beam, generating two symmetrically red- and blue-detuned sidebands of frequency. This scheme leads to a significant reduction of undesirable effects coming along with the optical pumping, such as light shifts and spatial inhomogeneity in atomic spin polarization. With the help of this pumping scheme, the two channels have the same magnetic response, and we have built a gradiometer atomic magnetometer with a sensitivity of 0.5 fT/Hz 1/2 ranging from 5 to 40 Hz. Our results propose the possibility of creating larger arrays of atomic magnetometers (AMs) with high sensitivity and spatial resolution based on single-vapor cells for magnetocardiography and magnetoencephalography imaging or searching for exotic spin-dependent interactions.
In the past few decades, optical magnetometry has experienced remarkable development and reached to an outstanding sensitivity. For magnetometry based on optical readout of atomic ensemble, the fundamental limitation of sensitivity is restricted by spin projection noise and photon shot noise. Meanwhile, in practical applications, ambient magnetic noise also greatly limits the sensitivity. To achieve the best sensitivity, it is essential to find an efficacious way to eliminate the noises from different sources, simultaneously. Here, we demonstrate a quantum magnetic gradiometer with sub-shot-noise sensitivity using entangled twin beams with differential detection. The quantum enhancement spans a frequency range from 7 Hz to 6 MHz with maximum squeezing of 5.5 dB below the quantum noise limit. The sensitivity of gradiometer reaches 18 fT/cm[Formula: see text] at 20 Hz. Our study inspires future possibilities to use quantum-enhanced technology in developing sensitive magnetometry for practical applications in noisy and physically demanding environments.