First evidence of detecting surface nuclear magnetic resonance signals using a compact B-field sensor

The noninvasive detection and characterization of subsurface aquifer structures demands geophysical techniques. Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) is the only technique that is directly sensitive to hydrogen protons and, therefore, allows for unambiguous detection of subsurface water. Traditionally, SNMR utilizes large surface coils for both transmitting excitation pulses and recording the groundwater response. Recorded data are thus a voltage induced by the time derivative of the secondary magnetic field. For the first time, we demonstrate that the secondary magnetic field in a SNMR experiment can be directly detected using a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Conducting measurements at a test site in Germany, we demonstrate not only the ability to detect SNMR signals on the order of femtoTesla but also we are able to satisfy the observed data by inverse modeling. This is expected to open up completely new applications for this exciting technology.