Neuronal electrical activity is widely
studied in vivo, and the
ability to measure its magnetic equivalent to obtain an undisturbed
signal with both amplitude and direction information leading to neuronal
signal mapping would be a promising tool for neuroscience. To provide
such a tool, a probe with spin-electronics-based magnetic sensors
with orthogonal axes of sensitivity for two directions of measurement
is realized, thanks to a local magnetization re-orientation technique
induced by Joule heating. This probe is tested under in vivo measurement
conditions in the brain of an anesthetized rat. To be as close as
possible to neurons and to create minimal damage during the probe’s
insertion, the tip thickness has been drastically decreased using
a silicon-on-insulator substrate. Our probes provide the ability to
perform in vivo magnetic measurements on two orthogonal axes on a
25 μm thick silicon tip with a sensitivity of 1.7%/mT along
one axis and 0.9%/mT along the perpendicular axis in the sensor plane,
for a limit of detection at 1 kHz of 1.0 and 1.3 nT, respectively.
These probes have been tested through a phantom study and during an
in vivo experiment. The robustness and stability over one year are
demonstrated.
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