High-sensitivity multi-channel probe beam detector towards MEG measurements of small animals with an optically pumped K-Rb hybrid magnetometer

Neural network-aided optimisation of a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer

Efficient unsupervised optimisation of atomic magnetometers is a requirement in many applications, where direct intervention of an operator is not feasible. The efficient extraction of the optimal operating conditions from a small sample of experimental data requires a robust automated regression of the available data. Here we address this issue and propose the use of general regression neural networks as a tool for the optimisation of atomic magnetometers which does not require human supervision and is efficient, as it is ideally suited to operating with a small sample of data as input. As a case study, we specifically demonstrate the optimisation of an unshielded radio-frequency atomic magnetometer by using a general regression neural network which establishes a mapping between three input variables, the cell temperature, the pump beam power and the probe beam power, and one output variable, the AC sensitivity. The optimisation results into an AC sensitivity of 44 fT/Hz at 26 kHz.

Spin polarization characteristics of hybrid optically pumped comagnetometers with different density ratios

We investigate the effects of the density ratio of K-Rb hybrid cells on the alkali metal-noble gas comagnetometers. Bloch equations simplified with the density ratio and average-pumping-rate model are presented for numerical simulation, which simplifies equations of complete hybrid spin ensemble and problem of polarization gradient. The spin polarizations of electron and nucleon, total electronic relaxation rates, and the spin-exchange efficiencies are measured with cells of different density ratios. The results are in good agreement with our equivalent model. Based on our theoretical analysis, the K-Rb-²¹Ne comagnetometer achieves maximum output signal by optimizing the combination of density ratio and optical power density. The density ratio is critical to the homogeneity of spin polarization and efficiency of hyperpolarization. The method in this work finds a way to optimize the sensitivity of comagnetometers, which is significant for angular-rotation sensors and new physics research.

High spatial resolution multi-channel optically pumped atomic magnetometer based on a spatial light modulator

Ultra-sensitive multi-channel optically pumped atomic magnetometers based on the spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) effect are powerful tools for applications in the field of magnetic imaging. To simultaneously achieve ultra-high spatial resolution and ultra-high magnetic field sensitivity, we proposed a high-resolution multi-channel SERF atomic magnetometer for two-dimensional magnetic field measurements based on a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) as the spatial light modulator for a single vapor cell. Under the optimal experimental conditions obtained via spatial and temporal modulation of the probe light, we first demonstrated that the average sensitivity of the proposed 25-channel magnetometer was approximately 25fT/Hz^1/2 with a spatial resolution of 216µm. Then, we measured the magnetic field distribution generated by a gradient coil and compared the experimentally obtained distributions with those calculated via finite element simulation. The obtained g value of 99.2% indicated good agreement between our experimental results and the theoretical calculations, thereby confirming that our proposed multi-channel SERF magnetometer was effective at measuring magnetic field distributions with an ultra-high spatial resolution.

In-situ measurement of the density ratio of K-Rb hybrid vapor cell using spin-exchange collision mixing of the K and Rb light shifts

We investigate a new method that enables the direct measurement of the density ratio of a K-Rb hybrid vapor cell, using the spin-exchange collision mixing of the K and Rb light shifts. The densities for each alkali metals can be further determined using Raoult's law. The mixture of the light shifts in both magnetometers and comagnetometers is formulated using Bloch equations and explained by considering the fast spin-exchange interaction. The relationship between the density ratio and the mixed light shifts is both formulated and simulated. The method was performed on several K-Rb magnetometer- and K-Rb-²¹Ne comagnetometer-cells at different temperatures, pump light powers, and mole fractions of K. The method was further verified by the conventional laser-absorption-spectroscopy method. The new approach has the advantage to measure the density ratio of the optically-thick hybrid alkali atoms, while requiring no additional magnetic field necessary for conventional magnetic-field induced Faraday-rotation techniques. It also has the advantage of in-situ measuring the density ratio under exactly the normal operation of the devices, which means that the errors caused by the heating-effect of the strong pump light and the temperature drift during long-term operation can be real-time monitored.

Temperature characteristics of K-Rb hybrid optically pumped magnetometers with different density ratios

Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) that are equipped with hybrid cells of K and Rb have been studied for improving their sensitivity and biomagnetic field measurements. The densities of the two alkali metal atoms and their density ratio are especially important for hybrid OPMs. In this study, we fabricated five hybrid cells using different K and Rb atom densities and measured the output signal intensities by controlling their cell temperatures. The output signal intensity of OPMs has different temperature characteristics depending on the density ratios of K and Rb atoms. The densities of the two atoms at any temperature were estimated based on the Raoult's law, and we compared the experimental results with the calculated results based on the Bloch equations. Furthermore, the numerical calculations that were obtained based on the Bloch equation by incorporating a relaxation term due to the absorption of the probe beam exhibited good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, in case of n_K/n_Rb = 4.85, it is estimated that a sensitivity of 1.6 fT/Hz^1/2 can be achieved by increasing the temperature to 270 °C.

Multi-channel spin exchange relaxation free magnetometer towards two-dimensional vector magnetoencephalography

Optically pumped atomic magnetometers based on spin exchange relaxation free regime have recently become a powerful tool in the field of magnetoencephalography measurements. For this application of magnetometers, simultaneous multilocation magnetic field measurements are desired. To fulfill the requirement, we develop a multi-channel sensor module based on a single large vapor cell. The probe beam passes through the vapor cell twice by reflection and then records the two-dimensional spatial magnetic field distribution with two 2 × 2 photodiode matrixes. Comparing with the previous multi-channel tangential magnetic field measuring sensors, our magnetometer is sensitive to the normal magnetic field by operating in the longitudinal parametric modulation mode. Measuring the normal component is considered more suitable for magnetoencephalography, because the normal component provides more information. The sensitivities of the channels are approximately 10 fT/Hz^1/2 in the normal direction. The auditory evoked magnetic fields of the four adjacent locations perpendicular to the scalp are detected simultaneously. Our magnetometer can measure the normal and tangential magnetic fields simultaneously. The dual-axis vector measurement of magnetic field is very important for magnetoencephalography.

Acousto-optic modulation detection method in an all-optical K-Rb hybrid atomic magnetometer using uniform design method

An acousto-optic modulation (AOM) detection method is demonstrated to detect the atomic Larmor precession frequency in an all-optical K-Rb atomic magnetometer operated in Spin-Exchange Relaxation Free (SERF) regime. Magnetic field sensitivity of 14 fT/Hz^1/2 was achieved by employing the uniform design (UD) [Acta Math Appl Sin.3, 363 (1980)] and subsequently optimizing the AOM modulation conditions. Results were compared to those of Faraday and the balanced polarimetry method in the same magnetometer. The AOM detection method has several advantages, such as small volume, no extra magnetic shielding for the modulator, high measurement signal-to-noise ratio and stability. It has a good prospect for compact and multi-channel atomic magnetometers.