Characterization of Scanning SQUID Probes Based on 3D Nano-Bridge Junctions in Magnetic Field

We develop superconducting quantum interference device(SQUID) probes based on 3D nano-bridge junctions for the scanning SQUID microscopy. The use of these nano-bridge junctions enables imaging in the presence of a high magnetic field. Conventionally, a superconducting ground layer has been employed for better magnetic shielding. In our study, we prepare a number of scanning SQUID probes with and without a ground layer to evaluate their performance in external magnetic fields. The devices show the improved magnetic modulation up to 1.4 T. It is found that the ground layer reduces the inductance, and increases the modulation depth and symmetricity of the gradiometer design in the absence of the field. However, the layer is not compatible with the use of the scanning SQUID probe in the field because it decreases its working field range. Moreover, by adding the layer, the mutual inductance between the feedback coil and the SQUID also decreases linearly as a function of the field.     

Spontaneous and Induced Magnetization Reversal in Thin GaMnSb Films

The time, temperature, and magnetic field dependences of the magnetic moment of thin GaMnSb films containing MnSb clusters are measured using a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometer. It is found that magnetic field-induced magnetization reversal and thermally activated spontaneous magnetization reversal in thin GaMnSb films are interrelated as follows: the maximum of the magnetic-field dependence of the magnetic viscosity coincides with the coercive force for the samples.     

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.     

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)     

超导量子干涉器件

超导现象是一种宏观量子现象.磁通量子化和约瑟夫森效应是两个最能体现这种宏观量子特性的物理现象.超导量子干涉器件(superconducting quantum interference device,SQUID)是利用这两个特性而形成的超导器件.SQUID器件在磁信号灵敏探测方面具有广泛的应用.本文简要介绍低温超导和高温超导SQUID器件的相关背景和发展现状以及应用领域.     

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.     

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.     

Absence of field anisotropy in the intrinsic ferromagnetic signals of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

We have measured the magnetization of bulk samples of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) at magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the graphene layers. Within experimental error the intrinsic ferromagnetic signals of the samples show similar magnetic moments at saturation for the two magnetic field directions, in contrast to recently published data (J. ?ervenka et al., Nat. Phys. 5 (2009) 840). To check that the SQUID device provides correctly the small ferromagnetic signals obtained after subtracting the 100 times larger diamagnetic background, we have prepared a sample with a superconducting Pb-film deposited on one of the HOPG surfaces. We show that the field dependence of the measured magnetic moment and after the background subtraction is highly reliable even in the sub-μ emu range providing the real magnetic properties of the embedded small ferromagnetic and superconducting signals.     

MgO衬底上YBa2Cu3O7-δ台阶边沿型约瑟夫森结的制备及特性

MgO衬底上的YBa2Cu3O7-δ(YBCO)台阶边沿型约瑟夫森结(台阶结)在高灵敏度高温超导量子干涉器(superconducting quantum interference device,SQUID)等超导器件研制方面具有重要的应用价值和前景.本文对此类YBCO台阶结的制备和特性进行了研究.首先利用离子束刻蚀技术和两步刻蚀法在MgO(100)衬底上制备陡度合适、边沿整齐的台阶,然后利用脉冲激光沉积法在衬底上生长YBCO超导薄膜,进而利用紫外光刻制备出YBCO台阶结.在结样品的电阻-温度转变曲线中,观测到低于超导转变温度时的电阻拖尾现象,与约瑟夫森结的热激活相位滑移理论一致.伏安特性曲线测量表明结的行为符合电阻分路结模型,在超导转变温度TC附近结的约瑟夫森临界电流密度TC随温度T呈现出(TC-T)^2的变化规律,77 K时JC值为1.4×10^5 A/cm^2.利用制备的台阶结,初步制备了YBCO射频高温超导SQUID,器件测试观察到良好的三角波电压调制曲线,温度77 K、频率1 kHz时的磁通噪声为250μΦ0/Hz^1/2.本文结果为进一步利用MgO衬底YBCO台阶结研制高性能的高温超导SQUID等超导器件奠定了基础.     

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.     

Dynamics of a SQUID with topologically nontrivial barriers

The phase dynamics of a SQUID consisting of Josephson junctions with topologically nontrivial barriers has been studied. Its comparative analysis with the dynamics of a conventional SQUID has been performed. The current–voltage characteristics have been calculated. The dependence of the return current on the magnetic field has been found. It has been shown that the branch of the current–voltage characteristic corresponding to the resonance frequency in the case of the SQUID with nontrivial barriers is displaced by \(\sqrt 2 \) over voltage. This effect can be used for the detection of Majorana fermions.     

Evidence of two-dimensional macroscopic quantum tunneling of a current-biased dc SQUID

The escape probability out of the superconducting state of a hysteretic dc SQUID has been measured at different values of the applied magnetic flux. At low temperatures, the escape current and the width of the probability distribution are temperature independent but they depend on flux. Experimental results do not fit the usual one-dimensional macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) law but are perfectly accounted for by the two-dimensional MQT behavior as we propose here. Near zero flux, our data confirms the recent MQT observation in a dc SQUID [Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 98301 (2002)]].     

Fe离子注入ZnO生成超顺磁纳米颗粒

过渡族元素掺杂ZnO生成稀磁半导体, 成为近期国际材料科学研究的热点. 在本文中, 研究Fe离子注入ZnO单晶的结构和磁性变化, 目标是建立磁性和结构的对应关系, 澄清铁磁性的来源. 采用卢瑟福背散射/沟道技术 (RBS/Channelling)、同步辐射X射线衍射 (SR-XRD)和超导量子干涉仪 (SQUID), 研究注入温度和退火对样品的晶格损伤、结构及磁性的影响. 研究表明: 样品注入区损伤随注入温度升高而降低; 低温253 K注入样品中, SR-XRD未检测到新相, Fe离子分布于Zn位, ZnO (0002) 峰右侧肩峰可能属于Zn_1-xFe_xO, 5 K下测试样品不具有铁磁性; 623 K注入和823 K真空退火 (253 K注入) 样品中形成α和γ相金属Fe, 5 K下样品具有明显的剩磁和矫顽力, 零场冷却和场冷却 (ZFC/FC) 曲线和300 K下的磁滞回线显示纳米Fe颗粒具有超顺磁性. Fe离子注入ZnO的磁性源于第二相α-Fe和γ-Fe. 关键词： 离子注入 ZnO 同步辐射X射线衍射 超顺磁性     

采用超导量子干涉组件在微特斯拉磁场下获取超极化~3He的核磁共振波谱和影像(英文)

该文以超导量子干涉元件研究光激发氦三极化气体的低磁场磁共振与造影术.使用圆偏极化雷色光将氦三气体极化,超导量子干涉元件磁共振与造影之测量是以磁通耦合方式来进行,超导量子干涉元件是用铋锶钙铜氧高溫超导罐来隔离环境噪音.此方法测得的磁共振信号与影像相较于直接将样品置于杜瓦瓶下方有较高的信噪比,当样品无法靠近感测元件时,此装置具高信噪比特色.磁通耦合方式的超导量子干涉元件低磁场磁共振与造影术及其氦三极化气体的肺部造影在学术与应用上是相当有趣.     

Observation of splintered Josephson vortices at grain boundaries in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta)

We have directly observed well-separated Josephson vortex splinters with unquantized magnetic flux at asymmetric 45 degrees grain boundaries in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) films by imaging magnetic flux with scanning SQUID microscopy. The existence of these splinter vortices has been predicted and is well described by a model based on dx(2)(-y(2)) pairing symmetry and facetting of the grain boundary on a length scale shorter than the Josephson penetration depth.     

Electronic phase transitions in the spinless Falicov-Kimball model

We have studied thedV/dI vs.V characteristics of point contacts between the heavy fermion superconductor URu₂Si₂ and the conventional superconductors Zn and NbTi. Contacts between URu₂Si₂ and Zn do not show Josephson effects; instead Andreev reflection type structures occur, which are related to both, the heavy fermion and the conventional superconductor. In contrast, contacts between URu₂Si₂ and NbTi become superconducting at low currents. A closed-loop setup with two NbTi contacts on URu₂Si₂ showed SQUID oscillations in a small magnetic field. Our data give evidence that the contacts should be described as superconductor/normal/superconductor junctions with a thick normal layer on the URu₂Si₂ side of the contact with proximity induced superconductivity in theN-layer in the case of NbTi. With such a model the occurrence or absence of superconductivity can be explained and also the suppression of Andreev-scattering which is frequently observed for contacts between heavy fermion superconductors and normal metals.     

SQUID sensor application for small metallic particle detection

High-Tc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is an ultra-sensitive magnetic sensor. Since the performance of the SQUID is improved and stabilized, now it is ready for application. One strong candidate for application is a detection system of magnetic foreign matters in industrial products or beverages. There is a possibility that ultra-small metallic foreign matter has been accidentally mixed with industrial products such as lithium ion batteries. If this happens, the manufacturer of the product suffers a great loss recalling products. The outer dimension of metallic particles less than 100 μm cannot be detected by an X-ray imaging, which is commonly used for the inspection. Ionization of the material is also a big issue for beverages in the case of the X-ray imaging. Therefore a highly sensitive and safety detection system for small foreign matters is required. We developed detection systems based on high-Tc SQUID with a high-performance magnetic shield. We could successfully measure small iron particles of 100 μm on a belt conveyer and stainless steel balls of 300 μm in water. These detection levels were hard to be achieved by a conventional X-ray detection or other methods.     

Nanofabrication of weak links based on scanning force methods

Variable thickness bridges of superconducting Nb thin films have been fabricated for the first time by a combination of conventional photolithography and scanning force nanofabrication methods. The weak link behavior of these superconducting nanobridges was verified by low-temperature transport measurements, in particular by measuring the critical current as a function of an externally applied magnetic field. Future applications of miniaturized weak link structures may include highresolution scanning SQUID microscopes.     

The properties of short-circuited HTSC coils

The properties of short-circuited multiturn superconducting coils have been studied; coils with nonsuperconducting contacts have been fabricated from a high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) tape made by Super Power Company. The magnetic flux captured by HTSC coils has been measured at different values of magnetic field of the magnetizing solenoid. the critical current in the coils have been experimentally determined based on the maximum values of the field they captured. It is ~50% of the nominal value for this HTSC tape. The range of external magnetic field, where HTSC coils keep the captured magnetic flux, has been experimentally found. The obtained results have demonstrated the possibility of designing magnet systems with levitating coils made of HTSC tape, in which levitation is controlled without using feedbacks.     

Frequency measurement of radiation from normal to superconducting point contact junctions

The frequency of radiation from Ta(superconducting)-Al(normal) point contacts has been measured as a function of temperature. The dependence agrees with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) gap equation for Ta.