Simultaneous measurement of diffusion along multiple directions.

Abstract

This paper introduces the first NMR approach for simultaneously measuring the full diffusion tensor. Using magnetic field gradients of different directions to generate multiple modulations of nuclear spin magnetization, multiple echoes of different modulations are acquired in a single scan to simultaneously measure diffusion along different directions. The experimental demonstrations were conducted in both isotropic and anisotropic systems. Since the diffusion anisotropy holds structural and dynamical information, this approach may be useful for monitoring liquid crystals and electrolytes in metastable states and for studying fluidity in situ in porous networks and in vivo in biological systems.