Gaseous ³He nuclear magnetic resonance probe for cryogenic environments

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Standard nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes fail in cryogenic environments due to sample freezing, limiting frequency resolution.
• High frequency resolution is crucial for precise measurements in low-temperature physics and materials science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a novel gaseous helium-3 (³He) NMR probe capable of high-frequency resolution measurements in cryogenic conditions.
• To showcase the probe's utility in shimming superconducting solenoids and measuring magnetic field stability at low temperatures.

Main Methods:

• Design and construction of a specialized gaseous ³He NMR probe.
• Operation and testing of the probe at 4.2 K and 5.3 T.
• Utilizing the probe for shimming a cryogenic superconducting solenoid and assessing magnetic field homogeneity and stability.

Main Results:

• The cryogenic ³He NMR probe achieved a frequency resolution better than 0.4 parts per billion (ppb).
• The probe successfully facilitated the shimming of a superconducting solenoid, yielding a highly spatially homogeneous magnetic field.
• Magnetic field stability was effectively measured using the developed cryogenic probe.

Conclusions:

• The developed gaseous ³He NMR probe overcomes the limitations of conventional NMR probes in cryogenic settings.
• This technology enables unprecedented precision in magnetic field characterization at low temperatures.
• The probe is a valuable tool for applications requiring high-resolution NMR in extreme environments.