Note: High sensitivity pulsed electron spin resonance spectroscopy with induction detection.

Commercial electron spin resonance spectroscopy and imaging systems make use of the so-called "induction" or "Faraday" detection, which is based on a radio frequency coil or a microwave resonator. The sensitivity of induction detection does not exceed ~3 × 10(8) spins/√Hz. Here we show that through the use of a new type of surface loop-gap microresonators (inner size of 20 μm), operating at cryogenic temperatures at a field of 0.5 T, one can improve upon this sensitivity barrier by more than 2 orders of magnitude and reach spin sensitivities of ~1.5 × 10(6) spins/√Hz or ~2.5 × 10(4) spins for 1 h.