Measurement of complex RF susceptibility using a series Q-meter

In this paper we have for the first time derived closed form expressions for the nuclear magnetic susceptibility in terms of the series Q-meter output voltage. We discuss the corrections involved in determining nuclear polarization from NMR signals by using the deuteron and proton spin systems as examples. Deuteron signals are shown to exhibit a false asymmetry, while proton signals have substantial shape distortions. Moreover, for the first time the importance of making a phase correction is demonstrated. We conclude that the series Q-meter with real part detection is not sufficient to produce an output voltage from which the nuclear susceptibility can be determined. An additional phase-sensitive detector is proposed for obtaining the imaginary part of the signal required for unambiguous extraction of the complex RF susceptibility.