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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Hyperpolarized Xenon for NMR and MRI Applications
Published on: September 6, 2012
Synchronous Spin-Exchange Optical Pumping
A Korver1, D Thrasher1, M Bulatowicz1
1Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
Abstract:
We demonstrate a new approach to precision NMR with hyperpolarized gases designed to mitigate NMR shifts due to the alkali spin-exchange field. The NMR bias field is implemented as a sequence of alkali (Rb) 2π pulses, allowing the Rb polarization to be optically pumped transverse to the bias field. When the Rb polarization is modulated at the noble-gas (Xe) NMR resonance, spin-exchange collisions buildup a precessing transverse Xe polarization. We study and mitigate novel NMR broadening effects due to the oscillating spin-exchange field. Spin-exchange frequency shifts are suppressed 2500×, and Rb magnetometer gain measurements project photon shot-noise limited NMR frequency uncertainties below 10 nHz/sqrt[Hz].
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