Can we inspect hidden structures without magnets? This research describes a technique to suppress the effects of Earth's magnetic field by using adiabatic rotations and sudden switching of the applied fields. This technique suppress the effects of Earth's field. The goal is to probe large volumes of sample situated in inhomogeneous fields outside a magnet, a geometry suitable for mobile sensors for the inspection of roads, buildings, and geological formations. Through manipulation of nuclear spins, a novel approach to exploring samples in inhomogeneous fields is revealed. We observed hundreds of spin echo signals lasting for more than 600 milliseconds and accurately measured the relaxation times of a liquid sample. However, the interference by Earth's magnetic field causes rapid decay of the signal within a few milliseconds for protons and is detrimental to this method. With potential applications for mobile sensors used in inspecting roads, buildings, and geological formations, this research opens up new possibilities for nondestructive testing and materials analysis. The nonresonant manipulation of nuclear spins represents a significant advance in materials science and engineering.
This research, published in Science, aligns with the journal's broad scope encompassing diverse scientific fields. The development of a novel technique for nonresonant manipulation of nuclear spins is relevant to the journal's interest in cutting-edge advancements in physics, materials science, and related disciplines.