Abstract:

While optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) fundamentally rely on the precession of an atomic spin in a magnetic field, devices operating at the Earth’s field range and at zero field practically result in quite different devices. An Earth’s field OPM measures the spin precession (Larmor) frequency of the atom to determine the magnetic field, and its output provides the magnitude of the field. In contrast, a zero-field OPM measures the very small angular displacement of the atomic spin due to a small field. Because of the geometry of the device, the angular measure results in the determination of a single vector component of the field. I will describe two of our efforts in these OPMs. In our Earth’s field OPM, we are looking to implement spin squeezing to realize an improvement of the bandwidth of the device due to measurement of the spin projection noise below the standard quantum limit. In our zero-field OPM, we are developing devices to measure the magnetic fields produced by active neurons in the human brain. Here, we are developing arrays of devices to locate active regions of the brain for a given stimulation of the human subject.

Biography:

Dr. Peter Schwindt is a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories and has been engaged in optical and atomic physics research since 1997 with an emphasis in applying the principles of atomic physics to sensing and timing problems. One of his primary focus areas is OPMs, developing techniques to both miniaturize them and improve their sensitivity and bandwidth. Since 2007, he led a project to develop OPMs for application to MEG. Dr. Schwindt has also worked on multiple atomic clock projects, developing trapped Yb ion microwave and optical clocks, focusing on techniques for miniaturization and low-power-consumption while maintaining excellent long-term frequency stability. Dr. Schwindt has also led a project to miniaturize and extend the dynamic range of an atom interferometer accelerometer while developing a photonic-integrated-circuit-based laser system. Prior to coming to Sandia National Laboratories in 2006, Dr. Schwindt worked as a National Research Council post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His research there focused on the development of chip-scale atomic clocks and magnetometers. He received his Ph.D. in 2003 from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.