Magnetic Induction Imaging with a cold-atom radio-frequency magnetometer
Abstract
The sensitive detection of either static or radio-frequency (rf) magnetic fields is essential to many fundamental studies and applications. Here, we demonstrate the operation of a cold-atom-based, rf magnetometer in performing 1-D and 2-D imaging of small metallic objects. It is based on a cold 85Rb atomic sample, and operates in an unshielded environment with no active field stabilization. It shows a sensitivity up to 200\, pT/ Hz in the 5-35\, kHz range bandwidth and can resolve a cut 0.4\, mm wide in a 0.8\, mm thick metallic foil. The characteristics of our system make it a good candidate for applications in civil and industrial surveillance.
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