In situ triaxial magnetic field compensation for the spin-exchange-relaxation-free atomic magnetometer

The spin-exchange-relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometer is an ultra-high sensitivity magnetometer, but it must be operated in a magnetic field with strength less than about 10 nT. Magnetic field compensation is an effective way to shield the magnetic field, and this paper demonstrates an in situ triaxial magnetic field compensation system for operating the SERF atomic magnetometer. The proposed hardware is based on optical pumping, which uses some part of the SERF atomic magnetometer itself, and the compensation method is implemented by analyzing the dynamics of the atomic spin. The experimental setup for this compensation system is described, and with this configuration, a residual magnetic field of strength less than 2 nT (+/- 0.38 nT in the x axis, +/- 0.43 nT in the y axis, and +/- 1.62 nT in the z axis) has been achieved after compensation. The SERF atomic magnetometer was then used to verify that the residual triaxial magnetic fields were coincident with what were achieved by the compensation system. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4756046]