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Superconducting meander-line surface coil for NMR spectroscopy of nanoscale thin films
Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 054076 – Published 25 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qhn7-3wv8
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for the study of local magnetism in a variety of materials. However, the inherently low sensitivity of conventional inductively detected solid-state NMR typically requires a large number of spins, reducing its applicability to two-dimensional materials and nanoscale thin films. To overcome this experimental challenge, we introduce a probe based on a superconducting meander-line surface coil that significantly enhances the NMR sensitivity for thin samples. Using an meander with an optimized geometry, we demonstrate the sensitivity of this technique by detecting the NMR signal of a 150-nm-thick boron film containing only approximately nuclear spins. Spin-echo measurements and theoretical modeling offer insight into the parameters limiting the performance of the coil. This work hopefully lays the foundation for developing highly sensitive NMR probes, potentially unlocking new opportunities for studying atomically thin materials.