Precise Measurement of Magnetic Field Gradients from Free Spin Precession Signals of ${}^3$He and ${}^{129}$Xe Magnetometers

Abstract

We report on precise measurements of magnetic field gradients extracted from transverse relaxation rates of precessing spin samples. The experimental approach is based on the free precession of gaseous, nuclear spin polarized ${}^3$He and ${}^{129}$Xe atoms in a spherical cell inside a magnetic guiding field of about 400 nT using LT${}_C$ SQUIDs as low-noise magnetic flux detectors. The transverse relaxation rates of both spin species are simultaneously monitored as magnetic field gradients are varied. For transverse relaxation times reaching 100 h, the residual longitudinal field gradient across the spin sample could be deduced to be$|\vec{\nabla }{B}_z|=(5.6\pm 0.4)$ pT/cm. The method takes advantage of the high signal-to-noise ratio with which the decaying spin precession signal can be monitored that finally leads to the exceptional accuracy to determine magnetic field gradients at the sub pT/cm scale.

References in corpus (5)

• New limit on Lorentz and CPT violating neutron spin interactions using a free precession 3He-129Xe co-magnetometer
• Constraints on Spin-Dependent Short-Range Interaction between Nucleons
• Ultra-sensitive magnetometry based on free precession of nuclear spins
• Magnetic Field Effects on the 1083 nm Atomic Line of Helium. Optical Pumping of Helium and Optical Polarisation Measurement in High Magnetic Field
• Observation of gravitationally induced vertical striation of polarized ultracold neutrons by spin-echo spectroscopy

Cited by in corpus (6)

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• Nuclear-spin comagnetometer based on a liquid of identical molecules
• PicoTesla absolute field readings with a hybrid 3He/87Rb magnetometer
• A Three-step Model for Optimizing Coil Spacings Inside Cuboid-shaped Magnetic Shields
• A global phase fitting approach for the analysis of ${}^{129}$Xe electric dipole moment measurements