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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Femtosecond Laser Filaments for Use in Sub-Diffraction-Limited Imaging and Remote Sensing
Published on: April 25, 2019
Remote sensing of geomagnetic fields and atomic collisions in the mesosphere
Felipe Pedreros Bustos1, Domenico Bonaccini Calia2, Dmitry Budker3,4
1Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudingerweg 18, 55128, Mainz, Germany. pedreros@uni-mainz.de.
Abstract:
Magnetic-field sensing has contributed to the formulation of the plate-tectonics theory, mapping of underground structures on Earth, and the study of magnetism of other planets. Filling the gap between space-based and near-Earth observations, we demonstrate a remote measurement of the geomagnetic field at an altitude of 85-100 km. The method consists of optical pumping of atomic sodium in the mesosphere with an intensity-modulated laser beam, and ground-based observation of the resultant magneto-optical resonance near the Larmor precession frequency. Here we validate this technique and measure the Larmor precession frequency of sodium and the corresponding magnetic field with an accuracy level of 0.28 mG Hz-1/2. These observations allow the characterization of atomic-collision processes in the mesosphere. Remote detection of mesospheric magnetic fields has potential applications such as mapping magnetic structures in the lithosphere, monitoring space weather, and electric currents in the ionosphere.
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