A method is provided for increasing a measurand, said measurand being associated with the
exposure of probe
spins to a sample
magnetic field generated by precessing sample
spins. The method comprises providing a
solid comprising spin systems localized therein, said spin systems providing the probe
spins, said probe spins having an average position. The method comprises providing a sample in a sample region, the sample comprising said sample spins, and said sample having a
sample average position. The method comprises applying a static
magnetic field to the sample region, the static
magnetic field having a component being spatially homogeneous in the sample region, said component acting along a first direction, said static magnetic field causing the sample spins to precess. A distance between the
sample average position and the average position of the probe spins does not exceed one
millimeter, such that the probe spins are exposed to a sample magnetic field generated by the precessing sample spins. The method comprises, while the static magnetic field is being applied to the sample region: applying a pulsed magnetic field to the sample region, the pulsed magnetic field having a component along the first direction, wherein a gradient of said component of the pulsed magnetic field has a component perpendicular to at least one of the first direction and a relative sample position, wherein the relative sample position refers to a vector difference resulting from subtracting the average position of the probe spins from the
sample average position. The method further comprises, while the static magnetic field is being applied to the sample region: measuring a measurand that is associated with occupations of
quantum mechanical states of the probe spins. Said gradient has a magnitude, said magnitude referring to a
time integral of said component of the gradient over a temporal period of the pulsed magnetic field. The method is characterized in that the magnitude is such that the measurand is increased by at least 25% over a
reference measurement of the measurand, the
reference measurement being performed like said measurement except for the applying of the pulsed magnetic field, wherein the pulsed magnetic field is not applied in the
reference measurement.