Laser-pumped cesium magnetometers allow highly sensitive small field magnetometry at room temperature. We report on applications of that technique in biomagnetic diagnostics and in a new experiment searching for a neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) experiment. In the biomagnetic application the magnetiv field from the beating human heart is detected using a gradiometer which reaches an intrinsic sensitvity of 80 fT/Hz^1/2 with a spatial resolution of 28 mm. The device can record time-resolved magnetic field maps above the human body surface and its performance is comparable to devices based on Hi-T_c-SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) technology. In the nEDM experiment laser-pumped cesium magnetometers will be used to measure and stabilize a DC magnetic field of 2μT and to generate the oscillating filed for the neutron Ramsey resonance. Those devices reach an intrinsic sensitivity of about 14 fT/Hz^1/2 with a measurement bandwidth of 1kHz. The general principle of operation and specific results are presented.

Date Published: 22 April 2005
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 5830, 13th International School on Quantum Electronics: Laser Physics and Applications, (22 April 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.617407

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5830:
13th International School on Quantum Electronics: Laser Physics and Applications
Peter A. Atanasov; Sanka V. Gateva; Lachezar A. Avramov; Alexander A. Serafetinides, Editor(s)