Apparatus of the free precession atomic portion type

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE IN A MAGNETOMETER OF THE ATOMIC FREE PRECESSION TYPE IN WHICH ATOM PORTIONS IN A SAMPLE OF MATTER ARE FIRST POLARIZED BY A PULSE OF STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD AND THEN PRECESS IN THE FIELD TO BE MEASURED AND INDUCE A FIELD DEPENDENT SIGNAL IN A SENSING COIL ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED TO SUITABLE RECEIVER, COMPRISING A DAMPING CIRCUIT, AND MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING SAID SENSING COIL TO SAID DAMPING CIRCUIT TO DAMP ANY TRANSIENT SIGNALS INDUCED IN SAID SENSING COIL ON COLLAPSE OF SAID POLARIZING MAGNETIC FIELD AND FOR SUBSEQUENTLY ELECTRICALLY SWITCHING SAID SENSING COIL TO THE RECEIVER CIRCUIT OF SAID MAGNETOMETER, SAID LAST MEANS COMPRISING A TWO-STATE SWITCH WHICH IN ONE STATE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTS THE SENSING COIL TO SAID DAMPING CICUIT AND IN ANOTHER STATE ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTS THE DAMPING CIRCUIT FROM THE SENSING COIL AND ELECTRICALLY CONNECTS THE SENSING COIL TO SAID RECEIVER CIRCUIT.