Pulsed NMR and NMR Imaging

Univ. of the South, June 24–26, 2020

(One set-up available)

This Immersion takes instructors through the basic concepts and measurements of Pulsed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, including effective fields in the rotating coordinates, precession, spin-flips, relaxation processes, spin-echoes, and Fourier transform spectroscopy, with the goal of performing and understanding NMR Imaging. The Bloch Equations will form the theoretical basis for exploring Pulsed NMR.

Pulsed NMR remains one of the most important experimental tools for physicists because it provides a unique non-invasive probe to study both the internal structure and motions of solids and liquids with magnetic nuclei. Instruments capable of these measurements are now affordable on an advanced laboratory budget.


The session will begin by tuning the spectrometer to perform single-pulse experiments in both liquids and soft solids. Then it will progress to measure both the spin-spin (T2) and spin-lattice (T1) relaxation times in these materials. We will retune the spectrometer to observe the single pulse experiments in fluorine liquids using FFT spectroscopy. Finally, exploiting the use of deliberate magnetic-field gradients, participants will study 1-dimensional imaging in layered soft-solid samples using FFT spectroscopy.

Participants should bring their own scientific calculators and some sort of data book. The cost for the TeachSpin PNMR apparatus is about $18K, and requires an ordinary digital oscilloscope for readout.

Host and Mentor:

David Van Baak is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Calvin College. His academic career included teaching and developing in the advanced-lab at Calvin College from 1980 through 2014; and since 2005 it has included collaborations with TeachSpin. Since 2014 he has been full time at Teachspin.

Dr. David A. Van Baak, Teachspin, Inc., 2495 Main Street, Suite 409, Buffalo NY 14214-2153. Email: dvanbaak@teachspin.com. Telephone: 716-885-4701.

Please note that the Jonathan F. Reichert Foundation has established a grant program to help purchase apparatus used in Laboratory Immersions. Limitations and exclusions apply, but generally speaking the foundation may support up to 40% of the cost of the required equipment.