Optically generated sensitivity enhancements in magnetic resonance spectroscopy

NMR is an incredibly powerful analytical method with many applications in chemical and biological sciences but it suffers from low sensitivity. This limits development of new applications and hinders study of volume limited samples. We have shown that NMR sensitivity can be increased by using a laser to excite dyes to their triplet state. Subsequent radical triplet collisions generate spin polarization which is transferred onto nuclei to increase NMR signal intensity. This project will develop sample shuttle apparatus to exploit this new method, combine magnetic resonance and optical studies to probe the underlying mechanisms, and further increase sensitivity gains.