No Arabic abstract
This paper describes a general method for manipulation of nuclear spins in zero magnetic field. In the absence of magnetic fields, the spins lose the individual information on chemical shifts and inequivalent spins can only be distinguished by nuclear gyromagnetic ratios and spin-spin couplings. For spin-1/2 nuclei with different gyromagnetic ratios (i.e., different species) in zero magnetic field, we describe the scheme to realize a set of universal quantum logic gates, e.g., arbitrary single-qubit gates and two-qubit controlled-NOT gate. This method allows for universal quantum control in systems which might provide promising applications in materials science, chemistry, biology,quantum information processing and fundamental physics.
As a complementary analysis tool to conventional high-field NMR, zero- to ultralow-field (ZULF) NMR detects nuclear magnetization signals in the sub-microtesla regime. Spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometers provide a new generation of sensitive detector for ZULF NMR. Due to the features such as low-cost, high-resolution and potability, ZULF NMR has recently attracted considerable attention in chemistry, biology, medicine, and tests of fundamental physics. This review describes the basic principles, methodology and recent experimental and theoretical development of ZULF NMR, as well as its applications in spectroscopy, quantum control, imaging, NMR-based quantum devices, and tests of fundamental physics. The future prospects of ZULF NMR are also discussed.
We present single- and multiple-quantum correlation $J$-spectroscopy detected in zero ($<!!1$~$mu$G) magnetic field using a Rb vapor-cell magnetometer. At zero field the spectrum of ethanol appears as a mixture of carbon isotopomers, and correlation spectroscopy is useful in separating the two composite spectra. We also identify and observe the zero-field equivalent of a double-quantum transition in ${}^{13}$C$_2$-acetic acid, and show that such transitions are of use in spectral assignment. Two-dimensional spectroscopy further improves the high resolution attained in zero-field NMR since selection rules on the coherence-transfer pathways allow for the separation of otherwise overlapping resonances into distinct cross-peaks.
Magnetic resonance is a widely-established phenomenon that probes magnetic properties such as magnetic damping and anisotropy. Even though the typical resonance frequency of a magnet ranges from gigahertz to terahertz, experiments also report the resonance near zero frequency in a large class of magnets. Here we revisit this phenomenon by analyzing the symmetry of the system and find that the resonance frequency ($omega$) follows a universal power law $omega varpropto |H-H_c|^p$, where $H_c$ is the critical field at which the resonance frequency is zero. When the magnet preserves the rotational symmetry around the external field ($H$), $p = 1$. Otherwise, $p=1/2$. The magnon excitations are gapped above $H_c$, gapless at $H_c$ and gapped again below $H_c$. The zero frequency is often accompanied by a reorientation transition in the magnetization. For the case that $p=1/2$, this transition is described by a Landau theory for second-order phase transitions. We further show that the spin current driven by thermal gradient and spin-orbit effects can be significantly enhanced when the resonance frequency is close to zero, which can be measured electrically by converting the spin current into electric signals. This may provide an experimentally accessible way to characterize the critical field. Our findings provide a unified understanding of the magnetization dynamics near the critical field, and may, furthermore, inspire the study of magnon transport near magnetic transitions.
Ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides a new regime for many applications ranging from materials science to fundamental physics. However, the experimentally observed spectra show asymmetric amplitudes, differing greatly from those predicted by the standard theory. Its physical origin remains unclear, as well as how to suppress it. Here we provide a comprehensive model to explain the asymmetric spectral amplitudes, further observe more unprecedented asymmetric spectroscopy and find a way to eliminate it. Moreover, contrary to the traditional idea that asymmetric phenomena were considered as a nuisance, we show that more information can be gained from the asymmetric spectroscopy, e.g., the light shift of atomic vapors and the sign of Land$acute{textrm{e}}$ $g$ factor of NMR systems.
The low temperature dependence of the nuclear magnetic resonance frequency and spin-lattice relaxation rate measured in the chiral magnet MnSi by Yasuoka and coworkers [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 85, 073701 (2016)] is interpreted in terms of helimagnon excitations. The theoretically predicted gapless and anisotropic dispersion relation which is probed at extremely small energy is experimentally confirmed. Whenever comparison is possible, the results are found quantitatively consistent with those of the inelastic neutron scattering and muon spin rotation and relaxation techniques. Further studies are suggested.