Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for selective detection of multiple quantum transitions

Claim 1

A nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy method for detecting multiple quantum transitions of a selected order, the transitions occurring in a sample containing rotating magnetic resonators, comprising the steps of: (a) applying a pulse train to the resonators, the pulse train consisting of RF pulses in which at least one pulse is φ degrees out of phase with the last pulse; (b) detecting the free induction decay signal emanating from the resonators for a period of time t2 after the application of the pulse train, using two channels of detecting system which are 90° out of phase with each other, and storing it in a memory; (c) repeating these steps (a) and (b) while changing the value of evolution time t1 in one increment, the evolution time being the pulse spacing between certain pulses in the pulse train; (d) repeating the steps (a)-(c) while successively resetting the value of φ to a set of predetermined values; (e) forming a set of linear combinations of the free induction decay signals stored corresponding to the values of the evolution time t1 and the values of φ; (f) forming three additional sets of linear combinations of the free induction decay signals by repeating the steps (a)-(e) after adding 90°, 180°, and 270°, respectively, to all the values of φ; (g) forming sets of linear combinations of the free induction decay signals from the four sets of linear combinations of the free induction decay signals by addition or subtraction; and (h) converting the sets of the linear combinations of the free induction decay signals obtained in step (g) into the frequency domain by double Fourier transformation with respect to t1 and t2.