Hyperpolarization read-out through rapidly rotating fields in the zero- and low-field regime

An integral part of para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) methods is the conversion of nuclear singlet order into observable magnetization. In this study polarization transfer to a heteronucleus is achieved through a selective rotation of the proton singlet–triplet states driven by a combination of a rotating magnetic field and a weak bias field. Surprisingly we find that efficient polarization transfer driven by a STORM (Singlet–Triplet Oscillations through Rotating Magnetic fields) pulse in the presence of sub-μT bias fields requires rotation frequencies on the order of several kHz. The rotation frequencies therefore greatly exceed any of the internal frequencies of typical zero- to ultralow field experiments. We further show that the rotational direction of the rotating field is not arbitrary and greatly influences the final transfer efficiency. Some of these aspects are demonstrated experimentally by considering hyperpolarized (1-(13)C)fumarate. In contrast to most of the existing methods, the STORM procedure therefore represents a promising candidate for quadrupolar decoupled polarization transfer in PHIP experiments.