In this project “Quantum Optical Magnetometer for Medical Applications” (QUMAG), we have developed an optical magnetometer optimized for detection of biological signals. The magnetometer is based on cesium atomic vapor which is interrogated with laser light. The magnetometer has high sensitivity to low-frequency (DC-1 kHz) magnetic fields. We have performed pilot experiments demonstrating that it can be used to detect the magnetic fields from the heart of a small animal. A promising application of our magnetometer is non-invasive diagnosis of fetal heart diseases. The same magnetometer could also be used for detecting other bio-magnetic signals, including those from nerves, the brain and the eye, again with possible applications in medical diagnostics.
