Non-zero field atomic magnetometry for brain function diagnostics

The field of quantum metrology is currently in an exciting phase and quantum-based devices are setting records in the detection of fields, acceleration, and time, with revolutionary potential in several areas of science and technology. Quantum sensors (QS) exploit the intrinsic "weakness" of quantum systems, their extreme sensitivity to external perturbations, to provide measurements of the perturbing fields with remarkably larger sensitivity and stability than classical devices. One of the most striking application of QS is the non-invasive detection of the tiny magnetic fields generated by the neuronal activity of the human brain, which typically lays in the range < 10 pTesla. Recent technological developments have made it possible to employ atomic magnetometers (AMs) as an advanced tool for magnetoencephalography (MEG), surpassing the performances of other ultra-sensitive quantum sensors, such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs).

The project focusses on the development of AMs-based MEG for accessing brain connectivity. Understanding the brain as a network is considered crucial for future developments of cognitive and clinical neuroscience, however establishing a causal relationship between any two brain areas through passive measurements is notoriously difficult. Here we propose to directly measure the brain function following a targeted magnetic stimulation which inductively activate a localized region of the brain. The key features of this project are: 1) the development of AMs which can be used in conjunction with strong magnetic field pulses 2) the measurement of both evoked brain response in real-time and its oscillatory behaviour in the alpha/beta range by these new devices.