Rabi resonance in spin systems: theory and experiment.

The response of a magnetic resonance spin system is predicted and experimentally verified for the particular case of a continuous wave amplitude modulated radiofrequency excitation. The experimental results demonstrate phenomena not previously observed in magnetic resonance systems, including a secondary resonance condition when the amplitude of the excitation equals the modulation frequency. This secondary resonance produces a relatively large steady state magnetisation with Fourier components at harmonics of the modulation frequency. Experiments are in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction derived from the Bloch equations, which provides a sound theoretical framework for future developments in NMR spectroscopy and imaging.