Researchers at NIST and UC Berkeley have developed a miniaturized nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensor that can detect magnetic signals from tiny fluid samples flowing through a custom silicon microchip. The chip, which combines a fluid channel with NIST’s ultra-sensitive atomic magnetometer, could enable rapid chemical analysis and screening of new drugs.
The NIST sensor, a spin-off from their miniature atomic clocks, is particularly well-suited for this application due to its small size and high sensitivity. Unlike traditional NMR systems that require large, superconducting magnets, this chip-based approach could enable portable, low-cost NMR devices for various industrial and medical applications.
The research, led by NMR expert Alexander Pines, demonstrates the versatility of NIST’s mini-sensor technology, which has already shown promise in biomedical imaging. The team is currently filing a joint university/NIST patent application for the microchip device, with support from the Office of Naval Research, Department of Energy, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2008/02/nmr-chip-features-nist-magnetic-mini-sensor
Keywords: Magnetometer, Atomic Nuclei, Magnetic Resonance, Atomic Clocks, Quantum Interference
