Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A novel technique is proposed in which a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum or magnetic resonance image (MRI) is encoded and stored as spin polarization and is then moved to a different physical location to be detected. Remote detection allows the separate optimization of the encoding and detection steps, permitting the independent choice of experimental conditions, and excitation and detection methodologies. In the first experimental demonstration of this technique, we show that NMR signal can be amplified by taking diluted 129Xe from a porous sample placed inside a large encoding coil, and concentrating it into a smaller detection coil. In general, the study of NMR active molecules at low concentration that have low physical filling factor is facilitated by remote detection. In the second experiment, MRI information encoded in a very low field magnet (4-7mT) is transferred to a high field magnet (4.2 T) in order to be detected under optimized conditions. Furthermore, remote detection allows the utilization of ultra-sensitive optical or superconducting detection techniques, which broadens the horizon of NMR experimentation.