On-chip measurement of the Brownian relaxation frequency of magnetic beads using magnetic tunneling junctions

We demonstrate the detection of the Brownian relaxation frequency of 250 nm diameter magnetic beads using a lab-on-chip platform based on current lines for exciting the beads with alternating magnetic fields and highly sensitive magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensors with a superparamagnetic free layer. The first harmonic out-of-phase component of the MTJ response gives the imaginary part of the magnetic bead susceptibility, which peaks at the Brownian relaxation frequency. This work paves the way to on-chip implementation of Brownian magnetorelaxometry in innovative "lab-on-a-bead" assays for biomolecular recognition.