Noise reduction in RF atomic magnetometer

A method of receiving a magnetic signal, comprising:

• passing a probe beam through a first optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell portion that has a first magnetic bias field orientation relative to a first circularly polarized pump beam;
• passing the probe beam through a second optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell portion that has a second magnetic bias field orientation relative to a second pump beam,
• wherein the first circularly polarized pump beam and the second pump beam are identical in intensity, frequency, polarization, and direction of propagation;
• wherein the first magnetic bias field orientation is opposite to that of the second magnetic bias field orientation;
• and
• wherein both the first magnetic bias field and the second magnetic bias field have an equal magnitude;
• and
• measuring a property of the probe beam after passing through the first optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell portion and the second optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell portion.

A receiver comprising:

• a first optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell that has a first magnetic bias field orientation relative to a pump beam;
• wherein the first optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell includes a path for a signal;
• wherein the signal is circularly polarized and includes noise;
• and
• wherein the first optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell creates a first output signal that is equal to a signal plus any noise;
• a second optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell that has a second magnetic bias field orientation relative to the pump beam;
• wherein the first optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell and the second optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell share the pump beam;
• and
• wherein the first magnetic bias field orientation is different from the second magnetic bias field orientation;
• and
• wherein the second optically pumped magnetometer vapor cell creates a second output signal that is equal to a negative of the noise;
• and
• a conversion system to convert optical properties of a probe beam affected by an incoming magnetic signal to electric signal, which adds the first output signal and the second output signal, creating a third output signal corresponding to the incoming magnetic signal.