Timothy Chupp
Physics, Applied Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
NMR and MRI with Laser Polarized Noble Gases: What's New


Noble gas species with nuclear polarization enhanced by laser optical pumping have been widely applied in precision NMR experiments. Polarizations of 10% or more, long polarization relaxation time constants, and the ability to transport polarized 3-He and 129-Xe have made a number of new applications possible. One application makes use of nuclear spins as quantum bits that could be part of a quantum processor. Biomedical applications include MRI and studies of complex biomolecules. I'll describe some of these recent applications and emphasize the joys and challenges of interdisciplinary research.