Magneto-optical detecting apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10677953-B2
Application number	US-201715610526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A system for magnetic detection includes a magneto-optical defect center material including at least one magneto-optical defect center that emits an optical signal when excited by an excitation light; a radio frequency (RF) exciter system configured to provide RF excitation to the magneto-optical defect center material; an optical light source configured to direct the excitation light to the magneto-optical defect center material; and an optical detector configured to receive the optical signal emitted by the magneto-optical defect center material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a magneto-optical defect center magnetometer comprising:
a magneto-optical defect center element;
a collection device;
an optical light source comprising:
a readout optical light source configured to provide continuous optical excitation to the magneto-optical defect center element to transition spin states of relevant magneto-optical defect center electrons in the magneto-optical defect center element to an excited state; and
a reset optical light source configured to provide, at a defined interval concurrent to the provision of the continuous optical excitation, optical light to the magneto-optical defect center element to reset the spin states in the magneto-optical defect center element from the excited state to a ground state, wherein the reset optical light source provides a higher power light than the readout optical light source; and

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the magneto-optical defect center element, the RF excitation source comprising a plurality of coils adjacent the magneto-optical defect center element, the coils each having a spiral shape.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer further comprises:
a half-wave plate; and
a mounting base configured such that the half-wave plate can rotate relative to the mounting base around an axis of the half-wave plate.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer further comprises:
a base structure; and
an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a position of a plurality of lenses relative to at least one of the readout optical light source or the reset optical light source.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer further comprises:
an optical detection circuit including the collection device, and configured to:
activate a switch between a disengaged state and an engaged state;
receive, via one of the readout optical light source or the reset optical light source, a light signal comprising a high intensity signal; and
cause or the optical detection circuit to operate in a non-saturated state responsive to the activation of the switch.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:
a substrate comprising an electron spin center;
a complementary moiety attached to a paramagnetic ion, which is attached to the substrate; and
a processor configured to identify a target molecule based on an identity of the complementary moiety and a detected magnetic effect change,
wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer is arranged to detect the magnetic effect change of the electron spin center caused by a change in position of the paramagnetic ion due to the target molecule passing by the complementary moiety.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising:
a plurality of unmanned aerial systems (UASs), wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer is one of a plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, wherein each of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers is attached to a respective one of the UASs, wherein each of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers is configured to generate a vector measurement of a magnetic field; and
a central processing unit in communication with each of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, wherein the central processing unit is configured to:
receive, from the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, a first set of vector measurements and corresponding locations, wherein the corresponding locations indicate where a respective magnetometer of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers was when the respective vector measurement of the first set of vector measurements was taken;
generate a magnetic baseline map using the first set of vector measurements;
receive, from the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, a first vector measurement and a first corresponding location;
compare the first vector measurement with the magnetic baseline map using the first corresponding location to determine a first difference vector; and
determine that a magnetic object is in an area corresponding to the area of the magnetic baseline map based on the first difference vector.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising:
a plurality of buoys, wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer is one of a plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, wherein each of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers is attached to a respective one of the buoys, wherein each of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers is configured to generate a vector measurement of a magnetic field; and
a central processing unit in communication with each of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, wherein the central processing unit is configured to:
receive, from the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, a first set of vector measurements and corresponding locations, wherein the corresponding locations indicate where a respective magnetometer of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers was when the respective vector measurement of the first set of vector measurements was taken;
generate a magnetic baseline map using the first set of vector measurements;
receive, from the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer of the plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers, a first vector measurement and a first corresponding location;
compare the first vector measurement with the magnetic baseline map using the first corresponding location to determine a first difference vector; and
determine that a magnetic object is in an area corresponding to the area of the magnetic baseline map based on the first difference vector.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer is one of a plurality of magneto-optical defect center magnetometers of an array of magnetometers configured to capture magnetic images, wherein the magnetic images comprises a first magnetic image of a well pay zone, and a second magnetic image comprises a magnetic image captured after a well bore is padded with a fluid, the first magnetic image comprising a baseline magnetic profile including Earth's magnetic field, and remnant sources of magnetism in the well pay zone, the first magnetic image comprising a first set of one of more vector measurements using the array of magnetometers, the second magnetic image comprising a second set of one of more vector measurements using the array of magnetometers; and
a processor configured to provide a background image based on the first and the second magnetic images,
wherein:
a third magnetic image is captured by the array of magnetometers after a doped proppant is injected into a stage, the third magnetic image comprising a third set of one of more vector measurements using the array of magnetometers, and
the processor is configured to process the third magnetic image to subtract the background and to obtain information regarding distribution of the fluid and the proppant in the stage.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein the magneto-optical defect center magnetometer is configured to sense a modulated magnetic field comprising multiple channels, the system further comprising:
a signal processor configured to demodulate each channel of the multiple channels of the sensed modulated magnetic field,
wherein:
each channel of the modulated magnetic field comprises an optimized variable amplitude t

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Stetson John B
• Manickam Arul
• Kaup Peter G
• Bruce Gregory Scott
• Lew Wilbur
• Hahn Joseph W
• Luzod Nicholas Mauriello
• Jackson Kenneth Michael
• Swett Jacob Louis
• Bedworth Peter V
• Sinton Steven W
• Huynh Duc
• DIMARIO Michael John
• Hansen Jay T
• MANDEVILLE Andrew Raymond
• Fisk Bryan Neal
• Villani Joseph A
• Russo Jon C
• COAR David Nelson
• MILLER Julie Lynne
• KOTTAPALLI Anjaney Pramod
• Montgomery Gary Edward
• Shaw Margaret Miller
• Sekelsky Stephen
• Krause James Michael
• Meyer Thomas J

Classifications

• G01R33/26

  using optical pumping · CPC title

• G01V3/14 Primary

  operating with electron or nuclear magnetic resonance · CPC title

• G01V3/101

  by measuring the impedance of the search coil; by measuring features of a resonant circuit comprising the search coil (measuring impedance or characteristics derived therefrom G01R27/00, e.g. quality factor G01R27/26) · CPC title

• G01R33/032 Primary

  using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday {or Cotton-Mouton effect} · CPC title