TQT Transformative Quantum Technologies logo
  • En
  • Fr
Get Connected
TQT Transformative Quantum Technologies logo
Get Connected

"Find People, Projects, etc."

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
job
publications
equipment
media
research
projects
people
events
labs
Filter by Categories
Committee
Leadership
Science
Staff
  • Home
  • Research
  • Opportunities
  • Events
  • About
  • Get Connected
  • Institute for Quantum Computing

    Researchers bring high res magnetic resonance imaging to nanometer scale

    Go Back Back

    More Topics

    biology imaging molecular sensing

    Researchers bring high res magnetic resonance imaging to nanometer scale

    Tuesday, February 20, 2018

     

    A new technique that brings magnetic resonance imaging to the nanometer scale with unprecedented resolution will open the door for major advances in understanding new materials, virus particles and proteins that cause diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

    Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing used a new type of hardware and numerical algorithms to implement high-precision spin control, which allowed them to image proton spins with a resolution below 2nm.

    Traditional MRI revolutionized medical imaging and transformed our understanding of the structure and function of biological systems, but it is limited to millimetre resolution.

    “This work extends the powerful capabilities of MRI to the nanometer scale and provides a whole new lens with which to view the structure and function of complex biomolecules,” said Raffi Budakian, lead investigator on the paper and a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Waterloo.

    The current work extends the capabilities of Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MRFM) — an ultra-sensitive technique for nanometer scale MRI — by combining it with the ability to precisely control atomic spins.

    “Now that we have a high degree of control on the spins, we can also apply the well-developed MRI techniques on an extremely small scale,” said Budakian. “We now have unprecedented access to understanding complex biomolecules.”

    The paper appears in Physical Review X. This research was undertaken thanks in part to funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

    Raffi Budakian (second from right) with collaborators in his lab.

    array(14) { ["_edit_lock"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(12) "1626492286:1" } ["_edit_last"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(1) "1" } ["_thumbnail_id"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(4) "1815" } ["dfiFeatured"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(17) "a:1:{i:0;s:0:"";}" } ["investigatorDetails"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(144) "a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:4:"name";s:37:"Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC)";s:4:"link";s:53:"https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-for-quantum-computing/";}}" } ["_facebook"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(25) "https://www.facebook.com/" } ["_instagram"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(20) "https://twitter.com/" } ["_linkedIn"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(25) "https://www.linkedin.com/" } ["_info"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(111) "https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-for-quantum-computing/news/researchers-bring-high-res-magnetic-resonance-imaging" } ["_moreInfoname"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(8) "IQC News" } ["_yoast_wpseo_content_score"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(2) "30" } ["_yoast_wpseo_primary_mytag"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(0) "" } ["_yoast_wpseo_primary_mycategory"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(0) "" } ["_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(1) "2" } }
    By

    Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC)

    Group sensing icon
    More Info

    IQC News

    Share

    • Share on Twitter
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on LinkedIn

    Connect with Us

    Join us at the frontier of quantum technology development. Request a visit, explore opportunities, and stay informed.

    Get Connected
    TQT Logo
    First Canada Logo
    • twitter icon
    • facebook icon
    • youtube icon
    • Home
    • Research
    • Opportunities
    • Events
    • About
    • Get Connected
    • Institute for Quantum Computing
    TQT Logo
    • Home
    • Research
    • Opportunities
    • Events
    • About
    • Get Connected
    • Institute for Quantum Computing
    • twitter icon
    • facebook icon
    • youtube icon
    First Canada Logo
    TQT Logo
    • twitter icon
    • facebook icon
    • youtube icon
    • Research
    • Overview
    • Updates
    • Projects
    • Publications
    • Labs
    • Quantum Innovation Cycle
    • Opportunities
    • Overview
    • Quantum for Health Design Challenge
    • Quantum for Environment Design Challenge
    • Quantum Seed
    • Technology Development
    • Open Positions
    • Events
    • All Events
    • About
    • Overview
    • People
    • Media
    • Contact
    First Canada Logo