Together, researchers from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU) and Lomonosov Moscow State University have developed a new magnetic field sensor that can be used in both biomedicine and for the quality control of technical products.

The researchers’ findings were published in the respected scientific Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials.

This sensor uses a concentrated light beam to scan an object’s scatter field distribution, the scientists report.

“Our research showcases how changing the composition and parameters of samples affects the external magnetic field sensor”, said Viktor Belyayev, co-author of the project and researcher at the IKBFU New Magnetic Materials Laboratory in an interview with RIA Novosti. “The sensor’s operation is based on resonance amplification of magneto-optical effects through excitation of surface plasmons on the metal/dielectric interface[ВАА1] in special nanocomposite structures called magnetoplasmonic crystals.”

The prototype of the sensor is being used in biomedicine, Belyayev said. For instance, in magnetocardiography, a technique to evaluate cardiac performance, the sensor is used to record the changes in the magnetic fields generated by the heart’s electrical currents.

The scientists suggest that the sensor will also find an application in quality detection – a group of physical methods used for monitoring the quality of products manufactured from various materials without having to destroy them. This will allow for manufacturing more reliable aero-structures, among other things.