Evolution of MEG: a first MEG-feasible fluxgate magnetometer

Abstract

In the current article we present a first solid-state sensor feasible for magnetoencephalography (MEG), and working at room temperature. The sensor is a fluxgate magnetometer based on yttrium-iron garnet films (YIGM). In this feasibility study we prove the concept of usage the YIGM in terms of MEG by registering a simple brain induced field: the human alpha rhythm 1. All the experiments and results are validated with usage of another kind of high-sensitive magnetometers - optically pumped magnetometer (OPM), which currently appears to be well-established in terms of MEG.