(93)Nb NMR study of the charge density wave state in NbSe(2).

(93)Nb NMR studies were carried out for a single crystal of NbSe(2) at 73.328 MHz in the temperature range 9-300 K to investigate the normal and charge density wave (CDW) states. Detailed analysis of the NMR line shape of the central transition using a classical incommensurate model reveals the change in the conduction electron spin dynamics from above T(CDW). An increase of the Knight shift below T(CDW) reflects modification to the uniform part of the conduction electron density of states. As suggested theoretically, the Knight shift distribution is found to be directly proportional to the square of the amplitude of the CDW. The results further indicate an incommensurate CDW state in 2H-NbSe(2). Analysis of the NMR spectra using the McMillan incommensurate model suggests a large value of the discommensuration parameter (γ) which is almost temperature independent, in contrast to the much smaller value previously reported in the case of 2H-TaSe(2).

Spin 3/2 Zeeman perturbed NQR in the presence of slow sample rotation.

Theoretical and experimental results are presented for the case of Zeeman perturbed nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) using spin-3/2 nuclei with a small Zeeman interaction, gammaB0, while the sample is very slowly rotated. It is found that the decay envelope for a simple two-pulse echo measurement can be strongly affected even though the sample may rotate only a few degrees or less during the course of the measurement. To lowest order the decay envelope can be described using a one dimensional function of the product of gammaB0, the rotation rate, and the square of the pulse spacing. Aside from an indirect and weak dependence on the quadrupole asymmetry parameter, eta, the result is independent of the NQR frequency. Identical results are expected for a stationary sample in a small rotating magnetic field. The effect seen here may be used to advantage to measure rotational motion, for example of particles in fluids, or may be an additional complication for some Zeeman perturbed NQR measurements, including some NQR detection and imaging methods.

14N magnetic resonance for materials detection in the field.

Nitrogen is prevalent in many materials, both naturally occurring and man-made. In particular, it is found in many explosives and other contraband materials. One technique for the detection of such materials in the field is the use of the magnetic resonance signal from the nearly 100% abundant, spin-1, 14N nuclei. Some of the difficulties with such measurements in the field include spurious signals from acoustic resonances, radio-frequency interference, and generally low signal-to-noise ratios. A summary of recent work by the authors to help mitigate these difficulties is presented.

Surface and gradiometer coils near a conducting body: the lift-off effect.

The use of surface coils in magnetic resonance is widespread. Examples include MRI, detection of subsurface aquifers by NMR, and, more recently, landmine detection by nuclear quadrupole resonance. In many of these cases a finite-sized sample to be examined is contained within a larger medium that is a poor electrical conductor, and eddy currents induced by the RF fields provide a loss mechanism that reduces the effective quality factor Q of the transmitter and receiver coils. Here the losses induced in a circular surface coil (a horizontal loop antenna) separated a distance from a dissipative medium are calculated and compared to measurements. It is shown that often the overall efficiency of the coil for magnetic resonance can be improved by displacing the coil away from the conducting medium a prescribed "lift-off" distance. The use of a gradiometer as a surface coil is also examined, and it is shown by theory and experiment that in certain circumstances such a gradiometer can be more efficient than a conventional surface coil for inspection of conducting media.