Zero- to ultralow-field J-spectroscopy with a diamond magnetometer

Abstract

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful tool for probing molecular structure and dynamics, but conventional high-field systems are bulky and suffer from field inhomogeneities. Zero- to ultra-low-field (ZULF) NMR overcomes these limits by exploiting internal spin interactions in a magnet-free, shielded environment. When combined with nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, it enables a compact, portable platform with high spatial resolution and broad bandwidth for noninvasive chemical sensing in microscopic volumes and real-world settings. We report detection of zero- to ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance (ZULF NMR) signals at frequencies of a few hertz using a diamond magnetometer. The sensing diamond is a truncated pyramid with 180 μm height and a 5002 μm2 base. The minimum stand-off distance is <1 mm, and the sensor sensitivity is 13 pT/√Hz at frequencies f above 5 Hz with 1/f-like behavior at lower frequencies. NMR signals were generated via signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) parahydrogen-based hyperpolarization resulting in zero-field signals at 1.7 Hz and 3.4 Hz corresponding to the expected hetero-nuclear J-coupling pattern of acetonitrile. This work demonstrates a magnet-free platform for detecting chemically specific NMR signals paving the way for portable noninvasive diagnostics in microscopic sample volumes for biomedicine, industrial sensing through metal enclosures.