Fetal MCG with Atomic Magnetometer Array

We present results on the development of $^8^7Rb$ atomic magnetometers for the detection of a fetal magnetocardiogram (fMCG). Operating in the spin-exchange relaxation free (SERF) regime, the magnetometers' sensitivities are reported at the $\sim $ 1fT/ $\sqrt{\mbox{Hz}$ level. Environmental common-mode noise, including the field from the maternal heart, can be suppressed by operating the magnetometers in a gradiometric configuration. We report on schemes from implementing such gradiometers along with recent fMCG measurements. This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health.