A cold atom radio-frequency magnetometer

We propose and demonstrate a radio-frequency atomic magnetometer with sub-Doppler laser cooled rubidium-87. With a simple and compact design, our system demonstrates a sensitivity of 330 pT/Hz in an unshielded environment, thus matching or surpassing previously reported cold atom designs. By merging the multiple uses and the robustness of radio-frequency atomic magnetometers with the detailed control of laser cooling, our cold atom radio-frequency magnetometer has potential for moving applications of atomic magnetometry to high spatial resolutions. A direct impact in metrology for applied sciences, materials characterization, and nanotechnology can be anticipated.