TIPD LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: SB161-005

Description

Proposed, is a low cost fiber optic high dynamic range magnetic field gradient measurement system for noninvasive, real-time monitoring of bio-magnetic activities with high spatiotemporal resolution in unshielded environment. Each gradient measurement system would consist of 1 scalar magnetometer, 1 each of horizontal and vertical gradiometers, and additional scalar magnetometers for background magnetic field measurement and cancellation. The entire sensor assembly would fit in less than 1cc volume and weigh only a few grams. The gradient measurement system is expected to perform with noise level sensitivity at or better than 20 fT/cm/sqrtHz in unshielded environment. Combined optical (in the fiber optic inline Sagnac interferometer) and electronic (auto balanced detector) noise cancellation employed in the gradiometer enables high dynamic range, thus making possible measurements of extremely small magnetic field in unshielded environment.