Developing of a fast cryodetector read-out for mass spectrometry

We report on the development of a SQUID read-out for a fast cryogenic detector with superconducting phase transition thermometer. To avoid the usual transformer matching and modulation–demodulation technique we are using a second SQUID to amplify the signal of a first stage input SQUID. A bandwidth of 2 MHz and a slew rate of 2×10⁵ Φ₀ s⁻¹ were achieved. The system is developed for the detection of large protein molecules in a time of flight mass spectrometer.