SBIR Phase I: Magnetometer Based on Spin Wave Interferometer

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is through providing a sensitive, robust, room temperature operating magnetometer. Magnetometers are among the most widely used instruments in a variety of applications including healthcare, transportation safety, food contamination monitoring, and homeland security. In fact, the growing need for magnetic field sensors manifests itself in the $1.6 billion global market with a fast-growing medical segment. As for today, the maximum sensitivity is provided by the Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices. The high sensitivity is critically important for medical applications. However, this high sensitivity can be achieved in the superconducting devices only at cryogenic temperatures. The proposed magnetometer based on spin wave interferometer combines high sensitivity with room temperature operation. This combination provides a great improvement in healthcare by reducing the cost of equipment, in transportation safety enhancement by providing more accurate traffic control, and in food safety monitoring by detecting small concentrations of heavy metals. It will be of great benefit to society to have a magnetometer combining the high sensitivity of superconducting devices and room temperature operation.<br/><br/>This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need for sensitive and room temperature operating magnetic field sensors by providing a magnetometer based on spin wave interferometer. There are different types of magnetic sensors available on the market. As of today, the maximum sensitivity up to attoTesla is provided by the Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices. However, this high sensitivity can be achieved only at cryogenic temperatures. The latter makes superconducting magnetometers expensive and limits its practical application. The proposed magnetometer is based on spin wave interference and free of constraints inherent in superconducting devices. The research objectives encompass the development and demonstration of a compact, non-expensive magnetometer with up to attoTesla sensitivity operating in a temperature range from cryogenic to 560 K. The outcomes of the proposed research will have an impact on commercial, defense and homeland security applications that need increasingly precise and robust magnetic sensors. The development of compact and high-sensitive magnetometer will be relevant to bio-sensing and bio-medical applications as well.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.