Electromagnetic induction imaging with a scanning radio-frequency atomic magnetometer

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a portable, unshielded electromagnetic induction imaging system using a miniaturized radio-frequency atomic magnetometer, capable of producing high-quality images in variable magnetic environments for applications like security and medical imaging.

Contribution

The study introduces a compact, unshielded RF atomic magnetometer setup with active ambient field compensation and image extraction procedures, enabling effective electromagnetic induction imaging in real-world conditions.

Findings

Successful imaging with a portable, unshielded magnetometer

Effective suppression of environmental magnetic noise

High-quality images obtained in variable magnetic environments

Abstract

We demonstrate electromagnetic induction imaging with an unshielded, portable radio-frequency atomic magnetometer scanning over the target object. This configuration satisfies standard requirements in typical applications, from security screening to medical imaging. The ability to scan the magnetometer over the object relies on the miniaturization of the sensor head and on the active compensation of the ambient magnetic field. Additionally, a procedure is implemented to extract high-quality images from the recorded spatial dependent magnetic resonance. The procedure is shown to be effective in suppressing the detrimental effects of the spatial variation of the magnetic environment.