High-speed, high-memory NMR spectrometer and hyperpolarizer

Area of Science:

• Spectroscopy
• Quantum Sensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for analyzing molecular structure and dynamics.
• Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) enhances NMR sensitivity by transferring polarization from electron spins to nuclear spins.
• Current NMR systems face limitations in pulse control speed and signal processing, hindering advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel NMR spectrometer with integrated electron-nuclear spin control and DNP capabilities.
• To leverage a high-speed arbitrary waveform transceiver (AWT) for enhanced NMR performance.
• To explore new avenues for NMR pulse control, DNP, and quantum sensing applications.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of a high-speed arbitrary waveform transceiver (AWT) - Tabor Proteus P9484M.
• Optimization for integrated electron-nuclear spin control and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP).
• Utilizing rapid sampling rates (9 Gs/s), large memory (16 GB), and high data transfer (6 Gs/s) for NMR operations.

Main Results:

• Enabled NMR pulse synthesis and signal reception directly at Larmor frequencies up to ~2.7 GHz, improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by eliminating heterodyning.
• Implemented on-board, phase-sensitive detection using numerically controlled oscillators (NCO).
• Facilitated windowed acquisition over extended periods and millions of pulses for nuclear spin dynamics interrogation.

Conclusions:

• The novel NMR spectrometer architecture offers advanced capabilities for NMR pulse control and DNP.
• The system supports closed-loop feedback control, electron decoupling, and 3D spin tracking.
• Potential applications in quantum sensing and advanced materials analysis are highlighted.