Force Detection of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 264; no. 5165; pp. 1560 - 1563
• Main Authors: Rugar, D., Züger, O., Hoen, S., Yannoni, C. S., H.-M. Vieth, Kendrick, R. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 10.06.1994; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy; Cantilevers; Carrier frequencies; Climate; CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; DETECTION; Exact sciences and technology; Imaging; Infrared, submillimeter wave, microwave and radiowave instruments, equipment and techniques; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Laboratory Equipment; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MAGNETIC RESONANCE; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetism; Magnets; NMR; NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE; Personality; Physics; Protons; Reaction Time; RESONANCE 665100 > Nuclear Techniques in Condensed Matter Physics > (1992-); Signal noise; Spatial resolution; Submillimeter wave, microwave and radiowave spectrometers; magnetic resonance spectrometers, auxiliary equipments and techniques; Vibration; Sensitivity analysis; NMR imaging; Instrumentation; Magnetic force; Detection; Microstructure; Magnetic force microscopy
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.264.5165.1560

Micromechanical sensing of magnetic force was used to detect nuclear magnetic resonance with exceptional sensitivity and spatial resolution. With a 900 angstrom thick silicon nitride cantilever capable of detecting subfemtonewton forces, a single shot sensitivity of 1.6 × 10$^{13}$ protons was achieved for an ammonium nitrate sample mounted on the cantilever. A nearby millimeter-size iron particle produced a 600 tesla per meter magnetic field gradient, resulting in a spatial resolution of 2.6 micrometers in one dimension. These results suggest that magnetic force sensing is a viable approach for enhancing the sensitivity and spatial resolution of nuclear magnetic resonance microimaging.