Nonlinear detection of secondary isotopic chemical shifts in NMR through spin noise.

The detection of minor species in the presence of large amounts of similar main components remains a key challenge in analytical chemistry, for instance, to obtain isotopic fingerprints. As an alternative to the classical NMR scheme based on coherent excitation and detection, here we introduce an approach based on spin-noise detection. Chemical shifts and transverse relaxation rates are determined using only the detection circuit. Thanks to a nonlinear effect in mixtures with small chemical shift dispersion, small signals on top of a larger one can be observed with increased sensitivity as bumps on a dip; the latter being the signature of the main magnetization. Experimental observations are underpinned by an analytical theory: the coupling between the magnetization and the coil provides an amplified detection capability of both small static magnetic field inhomogeneities and small NMR signals. This is illustrated by two-bond C/C isotopic measurements.