Michael Romalis develops optical magnetometry, in which resonant light prepares or reads an atomic vapour's response to a magnetic field. His review with Dmitry Budker explains how atomic spin dynamics can provide sensitive magnetic sensing.[ref]
Optical Magnetometry by Dmitry Budker and Michael Romalis. Abstract and operating principles of atomic-vapour magnetometers
The atoms supply the field-sensitive reference, and changes of transmitted or emitted light provide the readout. The approach connects atomic physics with measurements of weak biological or geophysical magnetic fields, rather than requiring a conducting pickup coil for every measurement.
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