2011 Volume 80 Issue 3 Pages 211-215
In recent years, optically pumped atomic magnetometers operating under spin-exchange relaxation-free conditions have reached sensitivities comparable to and even surpassing those of SQUID-based magnetometers. In this paper, we describe the principle of atomic magnetometers and results of biomagnetic field measurements. To test the performance of our newly developed atomic magnetometer, we made a phantom that models neuronal currents in the brain and measured tiny magnetic fields. We demonstrated measurements of magnetic field distributions with the phantom scanning two-dimensionally above the magnetometer. Finally, we describe the feasibility of atomic magnetometers as magnetic sensors for measuring MEG and MRI signals simultaneously.
