Lin T, Zhang Y, Lee YH, Krause HJ, Lin J, Zhao J. High-sensitivity cooled coil system for nuclear magnetic resonance in kHz range.
THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2014;
85:114708. [PMID:
25430134 DOI:
10.1063/1.4901964]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In several low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF-NMR) and surface nuclear magnetic resonance applications, i.e., in the frequency range of kHz, high sensitivity magnetic field detectors are needed. Usually, low-Tc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) with a high field sensitivity of about 1 fT/Hz(1/2) are employed as detectors. Considering the flux trapping and operational difficulties associated with low-Tc SQUIDs, we designed and fabricated liquid-nitrogen-cooled Cu coils for NMR detection in the kHz range. A cooled coil system consisting of a 9-cm diameter Cu coil and a low noise preamplifier was systematically investigated and reached a sensitivity of 2 fT/Hz(1/2) at 77 K, which is 3 times better compared to the sensitivity at 300 K. A Q-switch circuit as an essential element for damping the ringing effects of the pickup coil was developed to acquire free induction decay signals of a water sample with minimum loss of signal. Our studies demonstrate that cooled Cu coils, if designed properly, can provide a comparable sensitivity to low-Tc SQUIDs.
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