Micro-Fabricated Atomic Magnetometer With Hybrid Vector-Scalar Operation

Measurement of magnetic fields provides valuable information about charged particles and plasma interactions in the solar system, and about planetary dynamics and compositions. Magnetometers are thus important instruments to have aboard spacecraft on exploration missions. We propose a magnetometer system that is compact, low-cost, light-weight and low-power. The system is based on a miniature rubidium magnetometer and gives scalar and full vector operation with accuracy and sensitivity beyond state-of-the-art.

Magnetometers are used in a wide array of space science applications. Apart from gravity, magnetic fields are one of the few things we can measure to provide information about the internal composition of planets and other celestial objects. Magnetometers have been carried on almost every space probe/satellite that was headed to another planet, moon or asteroid. Terrestrial and space based magnetometers are used to real time monitor and predict "space weather" which can disrupt terrestrial power stations, telecommunication satellites, global positioning system and other critical infrastructure. Precise measurements of the interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF) provide invaluable information about charged particle and plasma interactions in the solar system. Magnetic fields can provide a natural reference frame in space, and apart from space science missions magnetometers are used by spacecrafts for orientation control, momentum management and scientific instrumentation pointing.

A small, portable, and rugged magnetometer has a variety of non-NASA applications. Archeological survey: Archaeologists use remote sensing methods such as magnetic survey to explore sites with minimum disruption to the surroundings. Typically detailed mapping of the site is carried out before excavation. Detection of unexploded ordinances: Across the world there are large numbers of bombs, mines, grenades and other unexploded ordinances left behind from military conflicts and tests. The UXOs pose a real safety threat to civilians and are responsible for numerous casualties every year. Aerial survey of UXOs using atomic magnetometers mounted on an aircraft is one of the promising techniques for inexpensively locating underground buried ordinances. Oil and Mineral exploration: Magnetic reconnaissance maps are widely used to look for distinct signatures associated with oil and different minerals. Earthquake research: Researchers investigate different methods such as seismic, magnetic and others to create detailed understanding of the geology of a region. Recent indications of magnetic signatures that are precursors to earthquakes have greatly raised the interest in magnetic monitoring of geophysical locations. Environmental and Engineering Applications: Some of the typical applications include detection of abandoned well casings, boundaries of landfills, buried concrete slabs, drums, pipelines etc.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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