Electromagnetic induction imaging with a scanning radio frequency atomic magnetometer

Abstract

We demonstrate electromagnetic induction imaging with an unshielded, portable radio frequency atomic magnetometer scanning over the target object. This configuration satisfies standard requirements in typical applications, from security screening to medical imaging. The ability to scan the magnetometer over the object relies on the miniaturization of the sensor head, the active compensation of the ambient magnetic field, and the implementation of a dedicated procedure to extract high-quality images from the recorded spatial dependent magnetic resonance. The procedure is shown to be effective in suppressing the detrimental effects of the spatial variation of the magnetic environment.