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Week 13: Emerging Modalities

Neuroimaging continues to evolve rapidly with quantum sensors and ultra-high field systems. This week surveys emerging modalities: Optically Pumped Magnetometer MEG (OPM-MEG) enabling wearable imaging, ultra-high field 7T and 11.7T MRI for cortical laminar resolution, and hyperpolarized gas MRI.

Interactive Demos & Activities

• Hyperpolarized 129Xe Gas Imaging Primer

  Quantum Polarization Physics · 100,000x Signal Gain

  Explore optical pumping with rubidium vapor to hyperpolarize noble gas nuclei, producing NMR signal enhancements of >100,000-fold that overcome thermal Boltzmann limits.

• MEG Gradiometers & Wearable OPM Principles

  Quantum Sensing · Room-Temperature Magnetometry

  Review magnetic sensor physics and see how emerging Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) replace bulky liquid-helium dewars with scalp-mounted wearable sensors.

• Self-Organized Criticality & Scale-Free Dynamics

  Complex Systems Simulation · Neural Avalanches

  Simulate sandpile avalanche distributions and power-law scaling ($1/f$ noise) to examine modern theories of scale-free brain network organization.

Topics Covered

• Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPM-MEG): Rubidium vapor cell spin polarization by laser light, eliminating cryogenics and allowing subjects to move naturally.
• Ultra-High Field (7T+) MRI: Laminar fMRI across cortical depths, microscopic susceptibility venography, and the challenges of dielectric resonance and shortened RF wavelengths ($B_1$ inhomogeneities).
• Hyperpolarized MRI & Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP): Optical pumping and low-temperature electron-nuclear polarization transfer for real-time in vivo metabolic tracking.