Development of 1.3GHz high-T-c rf SQUID

A new high-T_c (HT_c) rf SQUID working at around 1.3GHz has been developed to avoid electromagnetic interference such as growing mobile communication jamming. This new system works in a frequency range from 1.23 to 1.42GHz (centred at 1.3GHz), which is not occupied by commercial communication. The sensor used in the 1.3GHz rf SQUID is made of a HT_c coplanar superconducting resonator and a large-area HT_c superconducting film concentrator. We have achieved in the 1.3GHz HT_c rf SQUID system a minimal flux noise of 2.5×10^{-5}Φ_0/\sqrt{Hz} and a magnetic field sensitivity of 38fT/\sqrt{Hz} in white noise range, respectively. The effective area of the concentrator fabricated on a 15×15mm^2 substrate is 1.35mm^2. It is shown that the 1.3GHz rf SQUID system has a high field sensitivity. Design and implementation of 1.3GHz HT_c rf SQUID offers a promising direction of rf SQUID development for higher working frequency ranges.     

大有效面积的高Tc rf SQUID

关键词： c rf SQUID')" href="#">高T_c rf SQUID 新型结构 大有效面积 磁通聚焦器     

A scanning superconducting quantum interference device microscope for room temperature samples

We have constructed a scanning low-T_c superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope, in which the SQUID is mounted on the lower end of a copper rod and cooled to liquid helium temperature. There is a 65μm thick sapphire window under the SQUID. The sample at room temperature underneath the window can be scanned to produce magnetic images. The microscope has a spatial resolution of 100－150μm and a magnetic field sensitivity of 3－60pT/$\sqrt{Hz}$ in a magnetically unshielded environment. We have used this scanning SQUID microscope to measure various room temperature samples.     

Terahertz response of thin-film YBCO bolometers

The bolometric response of high-temperature thin-film YBCO superconducting detectors to an electromagnetic radiation with a frequency of 2.5 THz is measured for the first time. The minimum value of the noise-equivalent power of the detectors is 3.5 × 10^?9 W/ $ \sqrt {Hz} $ . The feasibility of further increasing the sensitivity of the detectors is discussed.     

Magnetic study of the spontaneous brain activity of normal subjects

Summary An investigation of the spontaneous brain activity from normal subjects has been carried out by means of the neuromagnetic method. Two different systems were used for magnetic measurements. Both used 2nd-order gradiometers specifically designed for brain studies: 2.9 cm diameter, 5 cm baseline. A r.f. SQUID and a d.c. SQUID were coupled to the gradiometers. The measured noise levels are and , respectively. Thorough magnetic mapping of the spontaneous activity was performed on a few subjects. By mapping the average amplitude of the α-rhythm signals two maxima of activity over two symmetric regions of the scalp were clearly observed. Despite a general symmetry between hemispheres, however, the complexity of the measured maps suggests a corresponding complexity of the generators responsible for α-activity. Partially supported by Progetto Finalizzato Superconduttività     

Simulation of dielectric resonator for high-Tc radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device

Nowadays, the high-critical-temperature radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device (high-$T_{\rm c }$ rf SQUID) is usually coupled to a dielectric resonator that is a standard $10\times 10\times 1$~mm³ SrTiO$₃ (STO) substrate with a YBa₂Cu$₃O$_{7 - \delta }$ (YBCO) thin-film flux focuser deposited on it. Recently, we have simulated a dielectric resonator for the high-$T_{\rm c }$ rf SQUID by using the ANSOFT High Frequency Structure Simulator (ANSOFT HFSS). We simulate the resonant frequency and the quality factor of our dielectric resonator when it is unloaded or matches a 50-$\Omega$ impedance. The simulation results are quite close to the practical measurements. Our study shows that ANSOFT HFSS is quite suitable for simulating the dielectric resonator used for the high-$T_c rf SQUID. Therefore, we think the ANSOFT HFSS can be very helpful for investigating the characteristics of dielectric resonators for high-$T_c rf SQUIDs.     

Noise measurements on a tunnel junction d.c. SQUID for a gravitational radiation detector at ultralow temperature

Summary We present noise measurements made at temperatures down to 200 mK on a tunnel junction d.c. SQUID, to be used as amplifier for the gravitational-wave experiment Nautilus of the Rome group. We find that the flux noise decreases with temperature, as expected, with a best measured value of at 0.2 K. The presence of an excess noise term independent of temperature is discussed.     

手持移动型高温超导SQUID在无损检测中的应用

在SQUID的无损检测应用中,如果被测样品非常巨大,不能移动样品,必须来移动SQUID进行扫描。而移动SQUID最方便最直接的方式是用手移动或者用机械臂移动,这就要求SQUID能在无屏蔽环境下非常稳定地工作,地磁场的影响要补偿掉,在移动中手的抖动产生的噪声也要消除。成功地解决了这些问题,用手持移动型高温超导SQUID在无屏蔽环境下检测到了6 mm铝板下的孔缺陷信号。报道了在这方面的初步研究结果。     

1.3 GHz超导腔磁通排出效应研究

设计并搭建了一套高精度的磁场测量和补偿系统,并结合中国科学院高能物理研究所(IHEP)的2K超导腔垂直测试平台对1.3 GHz单加速间隙超导腔的磁通排出效应开展了实验研究:利用研制的磁场测量和补偿系统能够精密地测量超导腔赤道位置磁场,并能够将磁场补偿至小于5.0×10-8 T;并对超导腔不同表面温度梯度下的磁通排出效应进行了测量分析;对钉扎了磁场的超导腔进行了射频性能测试,研究了超导腔电阻对磁通钉扎的敏感度,以及在不同电场梯度下超导腔的表面电阻变化情况。结果表明,研制的高精度磁场测量和补偿系统能够满足超导腔磁通排出研究的需求;高的超导腔表面温度梯度有利于磁通的排出;磁通钉扎电阻的敏感度随着加速电场梯度的增加而增大,导致超导腔的性能下降。此实验研究也为后续超导腔的研制奠定了一定基础。     

Short- and long-term frequency stabilization of a He-Ne laser using a Fabry-Perot cavity locked to the lamb dip

We have developed a frequency-stabilization system for the He-Ne laser using an external Fabry-Perot cavity which is locked to the Lamb dip of the laser. The cavity serves as a frequency discriminator for high-frequency noise suppression, while the length of the Fabry-Perot cavity is controlled, reffered to the Lamb dip, in order to eliminate low-frequency fluctuations. The frequency noise of a laser stabilized with the cavity suspended in a vacuum tank can be suppressed to about 1 $$0.1Hz/\sqrt {Hz} $$ at around 100 Hz by an FM-sideband locking method. The oscillation frequency is fixed to the Lamb dip at low frequency by controlling the cavity length thermally. The frequency fluctuation around the Lamb dip was estimated to be ～ 2.3 MHz.     

High-Tc planar SQUID gradiometer for eddy current non-destructive evaluation

This paper reports the fabrication and test of a high-Tc SQUID planar gradiometer which is patterned from YBCO thin film deposited on a SrTiO3 bicrystal substrate. The measurement of noise spectrum at 77K shows that the white noise at 200 Hz is about 1×10^-4 φ0/√Hz. The minimal magnetic gradient is measured and the results suggest that the minimal magnetic gradient is 94 pT/m. The planar gradiometer is used in non-destructive evaluation （NDE） experiments to detect the artifacts in conducting aluminium plates by performing eddy current testing in an unshielded environment. The effect of the exciting coil dimension on the NDE results is investigated. By mapping out the induced field distribution, flaws about 10mm below the plate surface can be clearly identified.     

Wide-band tuneability,nonlinear transmission,and dynamic multistability in SQUID metamaterials

Superconducting metamaterials comprising rf Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) have been recently realized and investigated with respect to their tuneability, permeability, and dynamic multistability properties. These properties are a consequence of intrinsic nonlinearities due to the sensitivity of the superconducting state to external stimuli. SQUIDs, made of a superconducting ring interrupted by a Josephson junction, possess yet another source of nonlinearity, which makes them widely tuneable with an applied dc dlux. A model SQUID metamaterial, based on electric equivalent circuits, is used in the weak coupling approximation to demonstrate the dc flux tuneability, dynamic multistability, and nonlinear transmission in SQUID metamaterials comprising non-hysteretic SQUIDs. The model equations reproduce the experimentally observed tuneability patterns and predict tuneability with the power of an applied ac magnetic field. Moreover, the results indicate the opening of nonlinear frequency bands for energy transmission through SQUID metamaterials, for sufficiently strong ac fields.     

Tunable atomic magnetometer for detection of radio-frequency magnetic fields

We describe an alkali-metal magnetometer for detection of weak magnetic fields in the radio-frequency (rf) range. High sensitivity is achieved by tuning the Zeeman resonance of alkali atoms to the rf frequency and partially suppressing spin-exchange collisions in the alkali-metal vapor. We demonstrate magnetic field sensitivity of 2 fT/Hz(1/2) at a frequency of 99 kHz with a resonance width of 400 Hz. We also derive a simple analytic expression for the fundamental limit on the sensitivity of the rf magnetometer and show that a sensitivity of about 0.01 fT/Hz(1/2) can be achieved in a practical system with a measurement volume of 200 cm3.     

A new type of HTc superconducting film comb-shape resonator for radio frequency superconducting quantum interference devices

A new type of HTc superconducting film combshape resonator for radio frequency superconducting quantum interference devices (RF SQUID) has been designed. This new type of superconducting film comb-shape resonator is formed by a foursquare microstrip line without a flux concentrator. The range of the center frequency of this type of resonator varies from 800 MHz to 1 300 MHz by changing the length of the teeth. In this paper, we report on simulating the relationship of the value of the center frequency and the length of the teeth, and testing the noise of HTc RF SQUID coupling this comb-shape resonator. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 2005, 27(3) (in Chinese)     

Magnetic-field control of subradiance states of a system of two atoms

A method is proposed for the creation of an entangled metastable (subradiance) excited state in a system of two closely spaced identical atoms. The system of unexcited atoms is first placed in a magnetic field that is directed at a magic angle of \({\alpha _0} = {\text{arccos}}\left( {1/\sqrt 3 } \right) \approx 54.7^\circ \) to the line connecting the atoms and has a transverse gradient. The gradient of the field results in the detuning of frequencies of an optical transition of the atoms. Then, the resonant laser excitation of an atom with a higher transition frequency is performed with the subsequent adiabatic switching-off of the gradient of the magnetic field. It is shown that the excited atomic system in this case transits with overwhelming probability to an entangled subradiance state. Requirements on the spectroscopic parameters of the transitions and on the rate of varying the gradient of the magnetic field necessary for the implementation of this effect are analyzed.     

Linewidth of a quantum-cascade laser assessed from its frequency noise spectrum and impact of the current driver

We report on the measurement of the frequency noise properties of a 4.6-??m distributed-feedback quantum-cascade laser (QCL) operating in continuous wave near room temperature using a spectroscopic set-up. The flank of the R(14) ro-vibrational absorption line of carbon monoxide at 2196.6?cm^?1 is used to convert the frequency fluctuations of the laser into intensity fluctuations that are spectrally analyzed. We evaluate the influence of the laser driver on the observed QCL frequency noise and show how only a low-noise driver with a current noise density below ${\approx} 1~\mbox{nA/}\sqrt{}\mbox{Hz}$ allows observing the frequency noise of the laser itself, without any degradation induced by the current source. We also show how the laser FWHM linewidth, extracted from the frequency noise spectrum using a simple formula, can be drastically broadened at a rate of ${\approx} 1.6~\mbox{MHz/}(\mbox{nA/}\sqrt{}\mbox{Hz})$ for higher current noise densities of the driver. The current noise of commercial QCL drivers can reach several $\mbox{nA/}\sqrt{}\mbox{Hz}$ , leading to a broadening of the linewidth of our QCL of up to several megahertz. To remedy this limitation, we present a low-noise QCL driver with only $350~\mbox{pA/}\sqrt{}\mbox{Hz}$ current noise, which is suitable to observe the ??550?kHz linewidth of our QCL.     

含有两个约瑟夫森结的射频SQUID的本征磁通噪声

我们研究了双结射频超导量子干涉器件（rf SQUID）的含时特性，给出了总磁通的动力学方程，并分析了在回滞模式和非回滞模式下的本征磁通噪声。结果显示：两个结的临界电流差别越大则越有助于获得小的本征噪声，在这种情况下，双结rf SQUID的本征磁通噪声会比单结rf SQUID的噪声稍大，但不超过一个数量级。     

On quantum analogue of dynamical stabilisation of inverted harmonic oscillator by time periodical uniform field

Quantum analogue of stabilised forced oscillations around an unstable equilibrium position is explored by solving the non-stationary Schrödinger equation (NSE) of the inverted harmonic oscillator (IHO) driven periodically by spatial uniform field of frequency \(\Omega \), amplitude \(F_{0}\) and phase \(\phi \), i.e. the system with the Hamiltonian of \(\hat{{H}}=(\hat{{p}}^{2}/2m)-(m\omega ^{2}x^{2}/2)-F_0 x\sin \) \(\left( {\Omega t+\phi } \right) \). The NSE has been solved both analytically and numerically by Maple 15 in dimensionless variables \(\xi = x\sqrt{m\omega /\hbar }\hbox {, }f_0 =F_0 /\omega \sqrt{\hbar m\omega }\) and \(\tau =\omega t\). The initial condition (IC) has been specified by the wave function (w.f.) of a generalised Gaussian type which suits well the corresponding quantum IC operator. The solution obtained demonstrates the non-monotonous behaviour of the coordinate spreading \(\sigma \left( \tau \right) \hbox { =}\sqrt{\big ( {\overline{\Delta \xi ^{2}\big ( \tau \big )} } \big )}\) which decreases first from quite macroscopic values of \(\sigma _{0} =2^{12,\ldots ,25}\) to minimal one of \(\sim \!(1/\sqrt{2})\) at times \(\tau <\tau _0 =0.125\ln \!\left( {16\sigma _0^4 +1} \right) \) and then grows back unlimitedly. For certain phases \(\phi \) depending on the \(\Omega /\omega \) ratio and \(n=\log _2\!\sigma _0 \), the mass centre of the packet \(\xi _{\mathrm {av}}( \tau )= \overline{\hat{{x}}(\tau )} \cdot \sqrt{m\omega /\hbar }\) delays approximately two natural ‘periods’ \(\sim \!(4\pi /\omega )\) in the area of the stationary point and then escapes to ‘\(+\)’ or ‘?’ infinity in a bifurcating way.  For ‘resonant’ \(\Omega =\omega \), the bifurcation phases \(\phi \) fit well with the regression formula of Fermi–Dirac type of argument n with their asymptotic \(\phi ( {\Omega ,n\rightarrow \infty } )\) obeying the classical formula \(\phi _{\mathrm {cl}} ( \Omega )=-\hbox {arctg} \, \Omega \) for initial energy \(E = 0\) in the wide range of \(\Omega =2^{-4},...,2^{7}\).     

Basic properties of an rf SQUID involving two Josephson junctions connected in series

We have studied the basic characteristics of a radio frequency superconducting quantum interference device (rf SQUID) involving two Josephson junctions connected in series, the case for the widely used grain boundary junction (GBJ) rf SQUID. It is found that the SQUID properties are determined mainly by the weaker junction when the critical current of the weaker junction is much lower than that of the other junction. Otherwise, the effect of the other junction is not negligible. We also find that only when the hysteresis parameter β is less than 1-α, where α is the critical current ratio of the two junctions, will the SQUID operate in the nonhysteretic mode.