3-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING WITH A NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE FORCE MICROSCOPE

A magnetic resonance force microscope was used to demonstrate three-di mensional nuclear magnetic resonance imaging with micrometer-scale spa tial resolution. The sample was mounted on a silicon nitride cantileve r that served as a micromechanical force sensor. A nearby magnetic tip generated a field gradient of 22 G/mu m. A three-dimensional magnetic resonance force map of the H-1 spins in the sample was produced by la teral scanning of the magnetic tip relative to the sample and by varyi ng the rf frequency of the spin excitation. The real-space spin densit y of the sample was reconstructed from the force map by means of a dec onvolution technique. The spatial resolution achieved in the experimen t was similar to 3 mu m in the axial direction. (C) 1996 American Inst itute of Physics.