Skip to main content
Log in

Spectral Resolution and Inversion of the Bloch Equations with Relaxation

  • Published:
Letters in Mathematical Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is demonstrated that the linear Bloch equations, describing near-resonant excitation of two-level media with relaxation, can be resolved into a 3n-dimensional nonlinear system associated with a special spectral problem, generalizing the classical Zakharov–Shabat spectral problem. Remarkably, for n = 1 it is the well-known Lorenz system, and for n > 1 several such systems coupled with each other in a manner dependant on the excitation pulse. The unstable manifold of a saddle equilibrium point in this ensemble characterizes possible excitations of the spins from the initial equilibrium state. This enables us to get a straightforward geometric extension of the inverse scattering method to the damped Bloch equations and hence invert them, i.e., design frequency selective pulses automatically compensated for the effect of relaxation. The latter are essential, for example, in nuclear magnetic resonance and extreme nonlinear optics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ablowitz M.J., Kaup D.J., Newell A.C. (1974). Coherent pulse propagation, a dispersive, irreversible phenomenon. J. Math. Phys. 15: 1852–1858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ablowitz M.J., Kaup D.J., Newell A.C., Segur H. (1974). The inverse scattering transform– Fourier analysis for nonlinear problems. Stud. Appl. Math. 53: 249–315

    Google Scholar 

  3. Allen L., Eberly J.H. (1987). Optical Resonance and Two-Level Atoms. Dover Publications, New York

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bloch F. (1946). Nuclear induction. Phys. Rev. 70: 460–474

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Feynman R.P., Vernon F.L. (Jr)., Hellwarth R.W. (1957). Geometrical representation of the Schrödinger equation for solving maser problems. J. Appl. Phys. 28: 49–52

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Le Roux, P.: Exact Synthesis of Radiofrequency waveforms. Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, San Francisco (1988)

  7. Lorenz E.N. (1963). Non-periodic deterministic flow. J. Atmos. Sci. 20: 130–141

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Pauly J., Le Roux P., Nishimura D., Macovski A. (1991). Parameter relations for the Shinnar-Le Roux selective excitation pulse design algorithm. IEEE Trans. Med. Imag. 10: 53–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Rourke D.E., Morris P.G. (1992). The inverse scattering transform and its use in the exact inversion of the Bloch equation for noninteracting spins. J. Magn. Reson. 99: 118–138

    Google Scholar 

  10. Rourke D.E., Morris P.G. (1992). Half solitons as solutions to the Zakharov-Shabat eigenvalue problem for rational reflection coefficient with application in the design of selective pulses in nuclear magnetic resonance. Phys. Rev. A 46: 3631–3636

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rourke D.E., Saunders J.K. (1994). Half-solitons as solutions to the Zakharov-Shabat eigenvalue problem for rational reflection coefficient. II. Potentials on infinite support. J. Math. Phys. 35: 848–872

    Article  MATH  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Rourke D.E., Bush S.D. (1998). Inversion of the Bloch equations with T 2 relaxation: An application of the dressing method. Phys. Rev. E 57: 7216–7230

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rourke D.E., Khodarinova L., Karabanov A.A. (2004). Two-level systems with relaxation. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92: 163003

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rourke D.E., Karabanov A.A., Booth G.H., Frantsuzov I. (2007). The Bloch equations when T 1 = T 2. Inverse Probl. 23: 609–623

    Article  MATH  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Shinnar M., Leigh J.S. (1989). The application of spinors to pulse synthesis and analysis. Magn. Reson. Med. 12: 93–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zakharov, V.E., Shabat, A.B.: Exact theory of two-dimensional self-focusing and one-dimensional self-modulation of waves in nonlinear media, Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz. 61, 118–134 (1971) [Sov. Phys. JETP 34, 62–69 (1972)]

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexander A. Karabanov.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karabanov, A.A., Rourke, D.E. Spectral Resolution and Inversion of the Bloch Equations with Relaxation. Lett Math Phys 81, 197–210 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11005-007-0180-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11005-007-0180-0

Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000)

Keywords

Navigation