English

Ultra-high sensitivity magnetic field and magnetization measurements with an atomic magnetometer

Atomic Physics 2015-05-14 v1 Geophysics Instrumentation and Detectors

Abstract

We describe an ultra-sensitive atomic magnetometer using optically-pumped potassium atoms operating in spin-exchange relaxation free (SERF) regime. We demonstrate magnetic field sensitivity of 160 aT/Hz1/2^{1/2} in a gradiometer arrangement with a measurement volume of 0.45 cm3^3 and energy resolution per unit time of 4444 \hbar. As an example of a new application enabled by such a magnetometer we describe measurements of weak remnant rock magnetization as a function of temperature with a sensitivity on the order of 1010^{-10} emu/cm3^3/Hz1/2^{1/2} and temperatures up to 420^\circC.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0910.2206,
  title  = {Ultra-high sensitivity magnetic field and magnetization measurements with an atomic magnetometer},
  author = {H. B. Dang and A. C. Maloof and M. V. Romalis},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0910.2206},
  year   = {2015}
}