B03 - Chip-integrated large-B1 THz microwave sources for DNP

Project B03 investigates new chip-integrated InGaAs B1 field sources for DNP-enhanced NMR ex-periments with frequencies up to 1 THz. In contrast to prior art, the proposed sources produce the required microwave/THz B1 field in the near field of the inductor of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). This ensures both a high conversion efficiency (from DC power to B1 field strength) and fre-quency agility. Moreover, the proposed approach makes use of electrically large inductors that con-sist of several smaller slab inductors, which are driven by currents with the appropriate phases. The individual VCO-based B1 source elements will be embedded into large-scale arrays for enhanced sensitive volumes and phase-locked loops (PLLs) for external phase control. Project B03 direct ca-ters to the CRC’s overarching goal of NMR sensitivity enhancement. The lab prototypes of this pro-ject will be used in several other CRC projects (e. g. A03, B01, B02, B05, B06). Project B03 will receive critical input from project C01 in the form of customly optimized pulse sequences.

Team