Pre-polarization enhancement by dynamic nuclear polarization in SQUID-based ultra-low-field nuclear magnetic resonance

We achieved enhanced pre-polarization in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID)-based microtesla nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment by using dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). The pre-polarization field is necessary to provide enough signal to noise to perform SQUID-based ultra-low-field (ULF) NMR/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) experiments. However, it is quite tricky to deal with the strong transient magnetic field when operating the SQUID in a magnetically shielded room (MSR); besides the direct interference with the sensitive SQUID sensor, the strong magnetic field and its abrupt change generate magnetization in local areas in the MSR and eddy currents along the wall, which makes the NMR measurement difficult. The enhanced 1H NMR signals of water in TEMPOL and TEMPO solutions were obtained with a relatively weak radio-frequency (rf) field and double-relaxation oscillation SQUIDs (DROS) at a few mT pre-polarization fields. In our experimental condition, the enhancement factor was near ten in spite of the rf power far below the saturation in both samples.