Parametric resonance magnetometer based on elliptically polarized light yielding three-axis measurement with isotropic sensitivity

We present here a parametric resonance magnetometer scheme based on elliptically polarized pumping light and two radio frequency fields applied along the two optical pumping directions. At optimum ellipticity and radio frequency fields' amplitudes, the three components of the magnetic field are measured with an isotropic sensitivity. Compared to the usual alignment-based parametric resonance magnetometers, the sensitivity is degraded by a factor of 2 for two components of the magnetic field but improved by a factor of 9 for the third one. The open-loop bandwidth was measured to be greater than 1 kHz for the three axes. This magnetometer configuration could be particularly interesting for geophysics and biomedical imaging.

Automated summary

The parametric resonance magnetometer scheme presented in this study uses elliptically polarized pumping light and two radio frequency fields to measure magnetic field with isotropic sensitivity. Compared to traditional alignment-based methods, sensitivity is improved for one component and degraded for two, with an open-loop bandwidth greater than 1 kHz for all three axes. This configuration shows potential for applications in geophysics and biomedical imaging.