Advancements in Optical Techniques for Enhancing the Sensitivity and Precision of Atomic Magnetometers

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Interaction Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 256

Special Issue Editors

School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
Interests: atomic magnetometers; atomic polarization; optical field modulation

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Guest Editor
School of physics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
Interests: atomic magnetometers; three-axis magnetometers; magnetoencephalography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Atomic magnetometers (AMs) are highly sensitive devices for measuring magnetic fields based on atomic quantum properties. They operate by detecting the interaction among light, atoms, and magnetic fields. Compared with traditional magnetometers, atomic magnetometers offer much higher sensitivity, reaching sub-femtotesla levels. They can accurately measure weak magnetic fields in real time. These magnetometers find wide applications: In biomedicine, they are used for magnetocardiography and magnetoencephalography to detect biological magnetic signals. In geophysics, they help in exploring underground resources by detecting magnetic anomalies. In space research, they measure the magnetic fields of planets and stars. However, the development of atomic magnetometers will face many challenges regarding the technical and engineering aspects in enhancing the sensitivity and accuracy of atomic magnetometers to meet the demands of diverse applications.

This Special Issue invites manuscripts that introduce recent developments in “Advancements in Optical Techniques for Enhancing the Sensitivity and Precision of Atomic Magnetometers”. All theoretical, numerical, and experimental papers are accepted. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Atomic polarization and measurement of the polarizability;
  • Method for detecting atomic precession signal;
  • Precision dispersion compensation and measurement;
  • Generation and optimization of the optical field for polarization and detection;
  • High-precision magnetic field compensation technology;
  • Atomic magnetometer noise suppression technology;
  • Atomic vapor cell heating and temperature control;
  • Optical methods for improving the sensitivity and precision of atomic magnetometers;
  • Methods of laser modulation and optical field optimization;
  • Design and application of array-type atomic magnetometers;
  • High-precision three-axis atomic magnetometer.

Dr. Ying Liu
Dr. Junjian Tang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • atomic magnetometers
  • weak magnetic measurement
  • atomic polarization
  • three-axis measurement

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 7312 KiB  
Article
Application and Performance Improvement of an Optical Power Stabilization System Based on MEMS-LCVR in a SERF Atomic Magnetometer
by Yitong Li, Wenfei Zhang, Jianqi Yang, Ying Liu and Yueyang Zhai
Photonics 2025, 12(6), 573; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12060573 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 56
Abstract
A stabilization method utilizing MEMS technology combined with a liquid crystal variable retarder (LCVR) was developed to enhance fiber laser output power stability and was applied to a spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometer. Comparative experiments demonstrated that the unstabilized laser output exhibited [...] Read more.
A stabilization method utilizing MEMS technology combined with a liquid crystal variable retarder (LCVR) was developed to enhance fiber laser output power stability and was applied to a spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) atomic magnetometer. Comparative experiments demonstrated that the unstabilized laser output exhibited 2.8% power fluctuations over a 500 s period, while the stabilized laser reduced this to 0.2%. Spectral density analysis confirmed suppressed frequency-domain fluctuations, indicating improved robustness against disturbances. Furthermore, the stabilized laser also reduced optical noise in SERF magnetometry, achieving a sensitivity of 19.2fT/Hz1/2. These results validate that the method optimizes both time- and frequency-domain performance, thereby advancing high-precision SERF magnetometry. Full article
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