Magnetic resonance with number states versus coherent states

In this paper, we study the interaction of quantized radio-frequency (rf)/microwave-field with nuclear spin in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or electron spin in Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). In magnetic resonance experiments, interaction of quantized rf-field leads to entanglement of spin with the electromagnetic field. In an entangled state, the spins are depolarized with no net transverse magnetization, which cannot give a detectable signal in inductive detection (or Q detection) that detects transverse magnetization. We show that when the electromagnetic field is in coherent state, inductive detection becomes possible. We use the mathematics of quantum optics to study the evolution of a coherent rf-field with a sample of all polarized spins. We show that evolution can be solved in closed form as a separable state of rf-field and spin ensemble, where spin ensemble evolves according to Bloch equations in an rf-field. We extend the analysis and results to a spin ensemble with Boltzmann polarization. The rabi frequency and coupling strength of spins to rf-field depends on number state of the rf-field. We show that in interaction with a coherent rf-field, this variation in coupling strength introduces negligible error.