Researchers at NIST have developed a tiny, low-power magnetic sensor about the size of a grain of rice that can detect extremely weak magnetic fields. The sensor is about 100 times smaller than current atom-based sensors and can be mass-produced using existing semiconductor manufacturing techniques.
The sensor has potential applications in various fields, including detecting unexploded ordnance, precision navigation, geophysical mapping, and medical instruments. It can be powered by batteries and is compact, measuring about 1 cubic centimeter when packaged.
The sensor works by detecting minute changes in the energy levels of electrons in the presence of a magnetic field. It is sensitive enough to detect a concealed rifle 40 feet away or a 6-inch-diameter steel pipeline 120 feet underground.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2005/01/tiny-atom-based-detector-senses-weak-magnetic-fields
Keywords: magnetic sensor, nanotechnology, sensitivity, magnetic field
