Development of Electric Field Nmr Signal Acquisition System

An entirely new approach to signal acquisition in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) systems has recently been demonstrated experimentally at Sussex. We report results which bring this method closer to realising some significant advantages over the conventional approach. The method uses a novel sensor technology, the electric potential sensor, to detect the electric field signal associated with the precessing nuclear spins. It provides an alternative non-inductive method for acquiring the signal via a weak capacitive coupling to the sample. This paper builds on previously published results and demonstrates the ability to detect spin-echo signals from liquid samples as well as free induction decays from solid samples using this technique. In addition, we demonstrate the intrinsic spatial resolution of the method by using a measurement electrodes with a range of sizes from 180 to 0.2 mm2, corresponding to coupling capacitance of 1 pF to 1 fF. Conclusions are drawn as to some of the likely application areas for this signal acquisition technique