Pulsed 14N NQR Device Designed to Detect Substances in the Presence of Environmental Noise

A new device designed for both volumetric and surface NQR detection of substances spatially located in several positions, and in the presence of environmental interference, is described. The device consists of two probe coils, placed on the same detection plane, for excitation and detection of NQR signals. Experimental results obtained using Strong Off Resonance Comb (SORC) pulse sequences, for the excitation of the ν- transition in samples of Sodium Nitrite (NaNO2), are presented. It is shown that, when the total signals induced in each coil are properly combined, the interference commonly detected in both coils is attenuated relative to the NQR signal detected by either one or both probe coils. NQR signal can be detected by either one or both coils, but in both cases the noise induced by distant environmental sources is attenuated.