QED effects on the nuclear magnetic shielding of $^3$He

Abstract

The leading quantum electrodynamic corrections to the nuclear magnetic shielding in one- and two-electron atomic systems are obtained in a complete form, and the shielding constants of $^1$H, $^3$He$^+$, and $^3$He are calculated to be $17.735\,436(3) \cdot 10^{-6}$, $35.507\,434(9)\cdot 10^{-6}$, and $59.967\,029(23)\cdot 10^{-6}$, respectively. These results are orders of magnitude more accurate than previous ones, and, with the ongoing measurement of the nuclear magnetic moment of $^3$He$^+$ and planned $^3$He$^{2+}$, they open the window for high-precision absolute magnetometry using $^3$He NMR probes. The presented theoretical approach is applicable to all other light atomic and molecular systems, which facilitates the improved determination of magnetic moments of any light nuclei.