High spin-sensitivity electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer based on microwave microoils.

• Research unit: INNOSUISSE
• Project number: 7332.2;6 NMPP-NM

Short description (English)

High spin-sensitivity electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer based on microwave microoils.

Short description (French)

High spin-sensitivity electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer based on microwave microoils.

Abstract (English)

Conventional electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometers are based on microwave cavities. Their large size allows one to analyse samples as large as 1 cm3. However, due to their relatively low spin sensitivity (i.e., 1010 spins/ G Hz1/1, the investigation ofsamples of volumes smaller than (100 !-lm)3 is often extremely time consuming or impossible. The aim of fuis project is to develop an ESR spetrometer based on the use of microwave microcoils, specifically conceived for samples of dimension of the order of(lOO !-lm)3 and smaller, capable to achieve a spin sensitivitybetter than 108 spins/G Hzl/2 at 300 K (i.e., more than one order of magnitude better than state-of-the-art systems). Such spin sensitivities will open the way, e.g., to the investigation ofmicrometer sized single crystals and monolayers of paramagnetic biomolecules.

Abstract (French)

Conventional electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometers are based on microwave cavities. Their large size allows one to analyse samples as large as 1 cm3. However, due to their relatively low spin sensitivity (i.e., 1010 spins/ G Hz1/1, the investigation ofsamples of volumes smaller than (100 !-lm)3 is often extremely time consuming or impossible. The aim of fuis project is to develop an ESR spetrometer based on the use of microwave microcoils, specifically conceived for samples of dimension of the order of(lOO !-lm)3 and smaller, capable to achieve a spin sensitivitybetter than 108 spins/G Hzl/2 at 300 K (i.e., more than one order of magnitude better than state-of-the-art systems). Such spin sensitivities will open the way, e.g., to the investigation ofmicrometer sized single crystals and monolayers of paramagnetic biomolecules.