George Mason University Receives Funding for RF Atomic Magnetometer Research

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 10, 2024 - George Mason University's Karen Sauer, a professor in the College of Science's Physics and Astronomy department, has been awarded funding for a project titled "Tunable RF Atomic Magnetometer as an Electrically Small Receiver."

The project will be executed in three distinct phases: In Phase 1, Sauer will focus on the development and investigation of innovative bias-field control based on fully atom-based measurements. This phase will also include testing the performance of sensor modules and complete sensors as they become available.

In Phase 2, the focus will shift to optimizing active bias-control techniques for operation in unshielded environments without compromising the RF magnetometer's performance.

In Phase 3, Sauer will work on performance improvement, sensor calibration methods, and noise-cancellation techniques. She will also address issues related to operating the sensor outside of shielded environments and provide optimized experimental and numerical results.

Commenting on the importance of this funding, Sauer stated, "The optically-pumped atomic magnetometer is a quantum sensor that rivals sensitivities of other detection techniques in the radio-frequency range, particularly below 50 MHz. It is easily tunable with a small static magnetic field, making it attractive for its adaptability.

"This ease, however, comes at a cost, as it is also sensitive to stray static magnetic fields caused by changes in the local environment. The project at George Mason aims at compensating for these changes in real-time, so that the sensor can be used in uncontrolled conditions, as would be needed for out-of-the-lab applications."

The project is supported by a $125,000 grant from SRI International under a subaward from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The funding commenced in June 2024 and will continue until October 2025.