Relaxation measurements by magnetic resonance force microscopy

The spatial resolution of magnetic resonance imaging can be greatly enhanced by replacing the coil antenna (or cavity) with a scanning force microscope. We describe how this mechanical detection can be applied to the measurement of both the transverse and longitudinal relaxation inside a micron-size volume. The measurement procedure and analysis is detailed for the case of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic spin systems. (C) 2004 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.