A Remotely Interrogated All-Optical $^{87}$Rb Magnetometer
Brian Patton, Oscar Versolato, D. Chris Hovde, Eric Corsini, James, Higbie, and Dmitry Budker

TL;DR
This paper demonstrates a remote all-optical atomic magnetometer capable of measuring Earth's magnetic field over ten meters with high precision, using laser beams to excite and detect $^{87}$Rb resonance without direct contact.
Contribution
It introduces a novel remote interrogation technique for atomic magnetometry using laser beams over free space, enabling non-contact magnetic field measurements at a distance.
Findings
Achieved geomagnetic field measurement with ~3.5 pT precision in 2 seconds.
Operated in self-oscillating mode with 5.3 pT/√Hz noise floor.
Remote interrogation over ten meters demonstrated feasibility for practical applications.
Abstract
Atomic magnetometry was performed at Earth's magnetic field over a free-space distance of ten meters. Two laser beams aimed at a distant alkali-vapor cell excited and detected the Rb magnetic resonance, allowing the magnetic field within the cell to be interrogated remotely. Operated as a driven oscillator, the magnetometer measured the geomagnetic field with \lessgtrsim{\lesssim}3.5\,pT precision in a 2\,s data acquisition; this precision was likely limited by ambient field fluctuations. The sensor was also operated in self-oscillating mode with a 5.3\,pT/ noise floor. Further optimization will yield a high-bandwidth, fully remote magnetometer with sub-pT sensitivity.
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
