Imaging local diffusion in microstructures using NV-based pulsed field gradient NMR.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 37595048.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adh3484 and PMC identifier 10438442.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Understanding diffusion in microstructures plays a crucial role in many scientific fields, including neuroscience, medicine, or energy research. While magnetic resonance (MR) methods are the gold standard for diffusion measurements, spatial encoding in MR imaging has limitations. Here, we introduce nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center-based nuclear MR (NMR) spectroscopy as a powerful tool to probe diffusion within microscopic sample volumes. We have developed an experimental scheme that combines pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) with optically detected NV-NMR spectroscopy, allowing local quantification of molecular diffusion and flow. We demonstrate correlated optical imaging with spatially resolved PGSE NV-NMR experiments probing anisotropic water diffusion within an individual model microstructure. Our optically detected PGSE NV-NMR technique opens up prospects for extending the current capabilities of investigating diffusion processes with the future potential of probing single cells, tissue microstructures, or ion mobility in thin film materials for battery applications.