Detection with evanescent wave probe

1. A method for spatially resolved spin resonance spectroscopy in a material sample, the method comprising:

exciting a sample with a first magnetic field, the first magnetic field having a field component along a first direction at a first location on the sample;

applying a second magnetic field to the sample, the second magnetic field having a field component along a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field interact with at least one spin for at least one atomic constituent at the first location to produce a spin resonance; and

sensing the spin resonance of the at least one spin using an evanescent wave probe located adjacent to the first location, wherein the spin resonance is selected from a group consisting of electron spin resonance and ferromagnetic resonance,

wherein sensing the spin resonance includes making a time-resolved measurement of at least one property of the spin resonance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the spin resonance includes at least one of a time decay of the spin resonance and a resonant frequency.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second field is substantially uniform at the first location.

4. An apparatus for making spatially resolved spin-resonance spectroscopic measurements in a material sample, comprising:

a first magnetic field source, the first magnetic field source generating a first magnetic field in a sample region, wherein the first magnetic field has a field component along a first direction at a first location in the sample region;

a second magnetic field source, the second magnetic field source generating a second magnetic field in the sample region, the second magnetic field having a field component along a second direction in the sample region, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first and second magnetic fields interact with at least one spin of at least one atomic constituent of a sample at the first location to produce a spin resonance of the at least one spin; and

an evanescent wave probe located adjacent to the first location, the evanescent wave probe sensing the spin resonance of the at least one spin and generating a spin resonance signal, wherein the spin resonance is selected from a group consisting of electron spin resonance and ferromagnetic resonance,

wherein sensing the spin resonance includes making a time-resolved measurement of at least one property of the spin resonance.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one property of the spin resonance includes at least one of a time decay of the spin resonance and a resonant frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second field is substantially uniform at the first location.

7. A method of screening a plurality of biological, chemical or material samples, the method comprising:

making a plurality of spin-resonance spectroscopic measurements corresponding to the plurality of samples according to claim 4 ; and

selecting at least one of the plurality of samples based on the plurality of spin-resonance spectroscopic measurements.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising making at least one subsequent spin-resonance spectroscopic measurement of a plurality of samples.

9. The application of claim 7 , wherein the biological or chemical samples are selected from a group consisting of proteomics, proteins, including antibodies, glycoproteins and lectins, peptides, polypeptides, saccharides, including mono- and polysaccharides, vitamins, steroids, steroid analogs, hormones, cofactors, bioactive agents, and genetic material, including nucleosides, nucleotides and polynucleotides; organic and inorganic compounds in fluid or condensed matter forms.

10. The application of claim 9 , wherein the samples are electron spin labeled so that the ESR signal can be sensed.

11. The application of claim 10 , wherein the ESR spin labeling is achieved by tagging nitroxide derivatives containing an unpaired electron in the pπ orbital of the N—O bond, or compounds including ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic or super-paramagnetic particles selected from a group consisting Yttrium Ion Garnet (YIG), YIG substituted with aluminum, gallium or indium, or certain spinal compounds such as lithium ferrite, to the samples using specific bonding technique.

12. The application of claim 10 , wherein the ESR signal includes at least one of the spin resonant frequency, line width, or spin resonant peak intensity.

13. The application of claim 10 , comprising interpreting the ESR signal to identify the said properties of said samples.

14. The application of claim 9 , wherein the samples are nuclear spin labeled with at least one of the elements including 15 N, 14 N, 13 C, 2 H, 1 H.

15. The application of claim 14 , comprising detecting the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of the labeling material.

16. The application of claim 15 , comprising interpreting the NMR spectroscopy, including chemical shifts, peak splitting patterns, peak line width and peak intensities, to identify-the said properties of said samples.

17. The application of claim 7 , wherein the properties of biological samples includes at least one of 1-D structure, 2-D structure, 3-D structure, chemical bonding, functionality and activity.

18. The application of claim 7 , wherein the properties of chemical samples includes at least one of structure, chemical bonding, valence states, spin -orbital interaction, spin-spin interaction and magnetic properties, including magnetization, magnetic anisotropy, magneto-restriction.