The PHASER in focus

• Applicant: Dr. Sören Lehmkuhl
• Subject Area: Microsystems ; Analytical Chemistry
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 528402160

Over the past decades, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have consolidated as analytical tools in physical and medical sciences. Their high information content enabled applications from synthetic chemistry to clinical diagnosis. However, albeit such powerful analytical tools, NMR and MRI suffer from intrinsically low sensitivity. The signal can be boosted over 1000-fold by hyperpolarization technologies. However, precision and amount of the extractable information are still limited. The resolution of an NMR spectrum or image also depends on the possible observation time of the nuclear spins. This limit can be overcome by the RASER, a brother of the LASER based on radiowaves. The objective of this proposal is to design an ultra-high precision detector based on both parahydrogen hyperpolarization and the RASER concept. A one-of-a-kind setup that will be called the PHASER (ParaHydrogen Achieves Super Enhanced Resolution). The PHASER can be operated at low magnetic fields, motivating the design of a miniaturized version. The PHASER setup will enable applications in NMR spectroscopy, microscale MRI, and measurements of external parameters such as magnetic fields, temperatures or rotations.

• DFG Programme: Independent Junior Research Groups