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ST: Fachverband Strahlen- und Medizinphysik
ST 6: Medical Imaging Technologies
ST 6.4: Talk
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 15:45–16:00, PC 203
Imaging local diffusion in microstructures using NV-based pulsed field gradient NMR — Fleming Bruckmaier1, •Robin D. Allert1, Nick R. Neuling1, Philipp Amrein2, Sebastian Lettin2, Karl D. Briegel1, Maxim Zaitsev2, and Dominik Bucher1 — 1Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany — 2Division of Medical Physics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Investigating diffusion phenomena within microstructures holds significant importance across scientific domains such as neuroscience, cancer research, and energy research. While magnetic resonance methods are widely employed for quantitative diffusion measurements, their sensitivity in resolving and measuring molecular diffusion within individual microstructures remains limited. This research introduces an innovative tool for exploring diffusion at a microscopic scale by utilizing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center-based nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our experimental framework integrates pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) with optically detected NV-NMR spectroscopy, enabling precise quantification of molecular diffusion and flow within nano-to-picoliter sample volumes. Through correlated optical imaging with spatially resolved PGSE NV-NMR experiments, we showcase the potential of this methodology to investigate local anisotropic water diffusion within a representative microstructure. This approach expands current capabilities in exploring diffusion processes to the microscopic scale, thereby facilitating investigations into single cells, tissue microstructures, and ion mobility in thin film materials.
Keywords: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Quantum Sensing; Nitrogen-vacancy center; Nuclear magnetic resonance; NV center