Para-hydrogen raser delivers sub-millihertz resolution in nuclear magnetic resonance

Süfke, Martin; Liebisch, Alexander; Appelt, Stephan; Blümich, Bernhard; Lehmkuhl, Sören

doi:10.1038/nphys4076

Journal Article

FZJ-2017-02612

Para-hydrogen raser delivers sub-millihertz resolution in nuclear magnetic resonance

Süfke, M. (Corresponding author) ; Lehmkuhl, S. ; Liebisch, A. ; Blümich, B. ; Appelt, S.FZJ*

2017
Nature Publishing Group Basingstoke

Nature physics 13, 568–572 (2017) [10.1038/nphys4076]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1038/nphys4076

Abstract: The precision of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy1 (NMR) is limited by the signal-to-noise ratio, the measurement time Tm and the linewidth Δν = 1/(πT2). Overcoming the T 2 limit is possible if the nuclear spins of a molecule emit continuous radio waves. Lasers and masers are self-organized systems which emit coherent radiation in the optical and micro-wave regime. Both are based on creating a population inversion of specific energy states. Here we show continuous oscillations of proton spins of organic molecules in the radiofrequency regime (raser5). We achieve this by coupling a population inversion created through signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) to a high-quality-factor resonator. For the case of 15N labelled molecules, we observe multi-mode raser activity, which reports different spin quantum states. The corresponding 1H-15N J-coupled NMR spectra exhibit unprecedented sub-millihertz resolution and can be explained assuming two-spin ordered quantum states. Our findings demonstrate a substantial improvement in the frequency resolution of NMR.

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