Note: A hand-held high-Tc superconducting quantum interference device operating without shielding

By improving the compensation circuit, a hand-held high-Tc rf superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) system was developed. It could operate well when moving in unshielded environment. To check the operation, it was used to do eddy-current testing by hand moving the SQUID, and the artificial defect under 6 mm aluminum plate could be successfully detected in shielded environment.     

Disposable sample holder for high temperature measurements in MPMS superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers

A sample holder for high temperature (300 K相似文献   

Development of superconducting contacts for the CRESST II 66-channel superconducting quantum interference device readout system

The CRESST experiment is designed to search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter with cryogenic detectors. CRESST II will use up to 33 CaWO(4) crystals with a total mass of approximately 10 kg. These many detectors require a readout system based on 66-channel superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). In this article we report on the development of a modular superconducting connector for the 66-channel SQUID readout circuit. We show that the technique developed reliably produces superconducting contacts.     

Scanning superconducting quantum interference device on a tip for magnetic imaging of nanoscale phenomena

We describe a new type of scanning probe microscope based on a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) that resides on the apex of a sharp tip. The SQUID-on-tip is glued to a quartz tuning fork which allows scanning at a tip-sample separation of a few nm. The magnetic flux sensitivity of the SQUID is 1.8 μΦ(0)/Hz and the spatial resolution is about 200 nm, which can be further improved. This combination of high sensitivity, spatial resolution, bandwidth, and the very close proximity to the sample provides a powerful tool for study of dynamic magnetic phenomena on the nanoscale. The potential of the SQUID-on-tip microscope is demonstrated by imaging of the vortex lattice and of the local ac magnetic response in superconductors.     

Nanohertz frequency determination for the gravity probe B high frequency superconducting quantum interference device signal

In this paper, we present a method to measure the frequency and the frequency change rate of a digital signal. This method consists of three consecutive algorithms: frequency interpolation, phase differencing, and a third algorithm specifically designed and tested by the authors. The succession of these three algorithms allowed a 5 parts in 10(10) resolution in frequency determination. The algorithm developed by the authors can be applied to a sampled scalar signal such that a model linking the harmonics of its main frequency to the underlying physical phenomenon is available. This method was developed in the framework of the gravity probe B (GP-B) mission. It was applied to the high frequency (HF) component of GP-B's superconducting quantum interference device signal, whose main frequency f(z) is close to the spin frequency of the gyroscopes used in the experiment. A 30 nHz resolution in signal frequency and a 0.1 pHz/s resolution in its decay rate were achieved out of a succession of 1.86 s-long stretches of signal sampled at 2200 Hz. This paper describes the underlying theory of the frequency measurement method as well as its application to GP-B's HF science signal.     

Miniature ceramic-anvil high-pressure cell for magnetic measurements in a commercial superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer

A miniature opposed-anvil high-pressure cell has been developed for magnetic measurement in a commercial superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. Non-magnetic anvils made of composite ceramic material were used to generate high-pressure with a Cu-Be gasket. We have examined anvils with different culet sizes (1.8, 1.6, 1.4, 1.2, 1.0, 0.8, and 0.6 mm). The pressure generated at low temperature was determined by the pressure dependence of the superconducting transition of lead (Pb). The maximum pressure P(max) depends on the culet size of the anvil: the values of P(max) are 2.4 and 7.6 GPa for 1.8 and 0.6 mm culet anvils, respectively. We revealed that the composite ceramic anvil has potential to generate high-pressure above 5 GPa. The background magnetization of the Cu-Be gasket is generally two orders of magnitude smaller than the Ni-Cr-Al gasket for the indenter cell. The present cell can be used not only with ferromagnetic and superconducting materials with large magnetization but also with antiferromagnetic compounds with smaller magnetization. The production cost of the present pressure cell is about one tenth of that of a diamond anvil cell. The anvil alignment mechanism is not necessary in the present pressure cell because of the strong fracture toughness (6.5 MPa?m(1∕2)) of the composite ceramic anvil. The simplified pressure cell is easy-to-use for researchers who are not familiar with high-pressure technology. Representative results on the magnetization of superconducting MgB(2) and antiferromagnet CePd(5)Al(2) are reported.     

An ultralow noise current amplifier based on superconducting quantum interference device for high sensitivity applications

An integrated ultrahigh sensitive current amplifier based on a niobium dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been developed. The sensor design is based on a multiturn signal coil coupled to a suitable SQUID magnetometer. The signal coil consists of 60 square niobium turns tightly coupled to a superconducting flux transformer of a SQUID magnetometer. The primary coil (pick-up coil) of the flux transformer has been suitably designed in order to accommodate the multiturn input coil. It has a side length of 10 mm and a width of 2.4 mm. In such a way we have obtained a signal current to magnetic flux transfer coefficient (current sensitivity) as low as 62 nA∕Φ(0). The sensor has been characterized in liquid helium by using a direct coupling low noise readout electronic and a standard modulated electronic in flux locked loop configuration for the noise measurements. Beside the circuit complexity, the sensor has exhibited a smooth and free resonance voltage-flux characteristic guaranteeing a reliable and a stable working operation. Considering a SQUID magnetic flux noise of S(Φ)(1∕2) = 1.8 μΦ(0)∕Hz(1∕2) at T = 4.2 K, a current noise as low as 110 fA∕Hz(1∕2) is obtained. Such a value is about a factor two less than the noise of other SQUIDs of the same category. As an application, Nyquist noise measurements of integrated test resistors using the current sensing noise thermometer technique are reported. Due to its high performance such a sensor can be employed in all applications requiring an extremely current sensitivity like the readout of the gravitational wave detectors and the current sensing noise thermometry.     

Nuclear quadrupole double resonance spectrometer with magnetic property measurement system direct current superconducting quantum interference device detector and automatic tuning

A new nuclear quadrupole double resonance spectrometer based on a commercial superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) setup (a Magnetic Property Measurement System (MPMS) from Quantum Design) is described. The experiment involves the indirect detection of pure quadrupole resonances (PQR) of a dilute spin system via the direct SQUID detected NMR of an abundant spin system. The experiment is conducted at low (3-20 K) temperatures and the magnetic field is cycled between a high (5.5 T) polarizing field, to an intermediate (0.1 T) detection field, to zero field where the sample is irradiated with a modulated search RF and back to the detection field. Loss of the NMR signal indicates the detection of a PQR. The RF circuit used for both the NMR and zero field irradiation is digitally controlled. Use of the External Device Control allows for the complete automation of the system. Test measurements on diphenyl ether are in good agreement with previously reported results. Pure (17)O quadrupole resonances were detected for spin systems with concentrations as low as 120 μM.     

High-temperature superconducting quantum interference device with cooled LC resonant circuit for measuring alternating magnetic fields with improved signal-to-noise ratio

Certain applications of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) require a magnetic field measurement only in a very narrow frequency range. In order to selectively improve the alternating-current (ac) magnetic field sensitivity of a high-temperature superconductor SQUID for a distinct frequency, a single-coil LC resonant circuit has been used. Within the liquid nitrogen bath, the coil surrounds the SQUID and couples to it inductively. Copper coils with different numbers of windings were used to cover the frequency range from <1 to nearly 100 kHz. A superconducting coil made of YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) tape conductor was also tested. With the LC circuit, the signal-to-noise ratio of measurements could be improved typically by one order of magnitude or more in a narrow frequency band around the resonance frequency exceeding a few kilohertz. The best attained equivalent magnetic field resolution was 2.5 fT/radicalHz at 88 kHz. The experimental findings are in good agreement with mathematical analysis of the circuit with copper coil.     

Frequency multiplexed superconducting quantum interference device readout of large bolometer arrays for cosmic microwave background measurements

A technological milestone for experiments employing transition edge sensor bolometers operating at sub-Kelvin temperature is the deployment of detector arrays with 100s-1000s of bolometers. One key technology for such arrays is readout multiplexing: the ability to read out many sensors simultaneously on the same set of wires. This paper describes a frequency-domain multiplexed readout system which has been developed for and deployed on the APEX-SZ and South Pole Telescope millimeter wavelength receivers. In this system, the detector array is divided into modules of seven detectors, and each bolometer within the module is biased with a unique ～MHz sinusoidal carrier such that the individual bolometer signals are well separated in frequency space. The currents from all bolometers in a module are summed together and pre-amplified with superconducting quantum interference devices operating at 4 K. Room temperature electronics demodulate the carriers to recover the bolometer signals, which are digitized separately and stored to disk. This readout system contributes little noise relative to the detectors themselves, is remarkably insensitive to unwanted microphonic excitations, and provides a technology pathway to multiplexing larger numbers of sensors.     

Magnetic measurements at pressures above 10 GPa in a miniature ceramic anvil cell for a superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer

A miniature ceramic anvil high pressure cell (mCAC) was earlier designed by us for magnetic measurements at pressures up to 7.6 GPa in a commercial superconducting quantum interference magnetometer [N. Tateiwa et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 82, 053906 (2011)]. Here, we describe methods to generate pressures above 10 GPa in the mCAC. The efficiency of the pressure generation is sharply improved when the Cu-Be gasket is sufficiently preindented. The maximum pressure for the 0.6 mm culet anvils is 12.6 GPa when the Cu-Be gasket is preindented from the initial thickness of 300-60 μm. The 0.5 mm culet anvils were also tested with a rhenium gasket. The maximum pressure attainable in the mCAC is about 13 GPa. The present cell was used to study YbCu(2)Si(2) which shows a pressure induced transition from the non-magnetic to magnetic phases at 8 GPa. We confirm a ferromagnetic transition from the dc magnetization measurement at high pressure. The mCAC can detect the ferromagnetic ordered state whose spontaneous magnetic moment is smaller than 1 μ(B) per unit cell. The high sensitivity for magnetic measurements in the mCAC may result from the simplicity of cell structure. The present study shows the availability of the mCAC for precise magnetic measurements at pressures above 10 GPa.     

Note: Radio frequency surface impedance characterization system for superconducting samples at 7.5 GHz

A radio frequency (RF) surface impedance characterization (SIC) system that uses a novel sapphire-loaded niobium cavity operating at 7.5 GHz has been developed as a tool to measure the RF surface impedance of flat superconducting material samples. The SIC system can presently make direct calorimetric RF surface impedance measurements on the central 0.8 cm(2) area of 5 cm diameter disk samples from 2 to 20 K exposed to RF magnetic fields up to 14 mT. To illustrate system utility, we present first measurement results for a bulk niobium sample.     

Note: Ultra-high frequency ultra-low dc power consumption HEMT amplifier for quantum measurements in millikelvin temperature range

We have presented theory and experimentally demonstrated an efficient method for drastically reducing the power consumption of the rf/microwave amplifiers based on HEMT in unsaturated dc regime. Conceptual one-stage 10 dB-gain amplifier showed submicrowatt level of the power consumption (0.95 μW at frequency of 0.5 GHz) when cooled down to 300 mK. Proposed technique has a great potential to design the readout amplifiers for ultra-deep-cooled cryoelectronic quantum devices.     

Note: how to design Gaussian filter with eccentricity and probe offset taken into account for roundness measurement of small radius

A Gaussian filter is designed using circular convolution with eccentricity and probe offset taken into account for roundness measurement. It is found through analyses and experiments that the newly designed filter can perform as well as a fast Fourier Gaussian filter for high precision calibration in laboratory, and it can be better used for roundness measurement of small radius with high eccentricity and probe offset as well.