Hyperpolarization read-out through rapidly rotating fields in the zero- and low-field regime

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method called STORM for efficient polarization transfer in low-field NMR, demonstrating its effectiveness through experiments and simulations, especially in the presence of quadrupolar couplings.

Contribution

The study presents the first implementation of STORM pulses for polarization transfer in zero- and low-field NMR, showing robustness against quadrupolar interactions.

Findings

Efficient polarization transfer requires high rotation frequencies (~kHz).

Rotational direction significantly affects transfer efficiency.

STORM pulses are resilient to quadrupolar coupling effects.

Abstract

An integral part of para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) methods is the conversion of nuclear singlet order into observable magnetization. In this study polarisation transfer to a heteronucleus is achieved through a selective rotation of the proton singlet-triplet states driven by a combination of a rotating magnetic field and a weak bias field. Surprisingly we find that efficient polarisation transfer driven by a STORM (Singlet-Triplet Oscillations through Rotating Magnetic fields) pulse in the presence of $\mu$T bias fields requires rotation frequencies on the order of several kHz. The rotation frequencies therefore greatly exceed any of the internal frequencies of typical zero- to ultralow field experiments. We further show that the rotational direction of the rotating field is not arbitrary and greatly influences the final transfer efficiency. Some of these aspects are demonstrated experimentally by considering hyperpolarised (1-$^{13}$C)fumarate. In addition, we provide numerical simulations highlighting the resilience of the STORM pulse against disruptive quadrupolar coupling partners. In contrast to most of the existing methods, the STORM procedure therefore represents a promising candidate for quadrupolar decoupled polarisation transfer in PHIP experiments.