Improving EPR Spectrometers for Field Deployment

In this video clip, Jean-Baptiste David, who is a R&D Engineer at CEA-Leti, and Serge Gambarelli, who is a research director at CEA-IRIG and EPR spectroscopy expert discuss the performance improvements or new capabilities that they anticipate seeing with miniaturized EPR spectrometers in the future and how close the technology is to widespread field deployment. David and Gambarelli address the applicability of EPR spectrometers in industries such as beer production, explaining how the technique can be used to analyze beer content.

What is electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy?

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is an analytical method for detecting and studying species with unpaired electrons. It works by applying a strong magnetic field and microwave radiation to a sample, causing unpaired electrons to transition between spin states.¹ The energy absorbed during these transitions is measured, generating a detailed spectral fingerprint that provides valuable information about the structure, environment, and behavior of paramagnetic species.¹

Our conversation with a team of researchers from CEA-Leti revealed some of the latest innovations occurring in EPR spectroscopy, including how these innovations are impacting the technique’s utility across several key application areas.

This interview clip concludes our five-part interview series with David and Gambarelli on EPR spectroscopy. However, there are other researchers looking at ways to use EPR spectroscopy for the analysis that they are conducting. For example, EPR spectroscopy has been used to help us learn more about enzyme dysfunction and the sulfur–oxidation process.²

What did the previous videos with David and Gambarelli discuss?

This interview series with David and Gambarelli talked about several key topics in EPR spectroscopy, including:

• How EPR spectroscopy is changing laboratory analysis and how it is being conducted.
• The performance of the EPR-on-a-chip spectrometer and how its sensitivity compares to both traditional benchtop EPR and other miniaturized systems.
• How the EPR spectrometer encodes EPR signals as phase shifts rather than amplitude or frequency changes.
• How EPR spectroscopy is being used in CEA-Leti’s Moonshot program.

References

1. Roessler, M. M.; Salvadori, E. Principles and Applications of EPR Spectroscopy in the Chemical Sciences. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2018, 47, 2534–2553. DOI: 10.1039/C6CS00565A
2. Wetzel, W. A Look at Electron Pulse Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: An Interview with Molly Lockart and Brad Pierce. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/a-look-at-electron-pulse-paramagnetic-resonance-spectroscopy-an-interview-with-molly-lockart-and-brad-pierce (accessed 2026-04-16).