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Superconductor electronics combines passive and active superconducting components and sometimes normal resistors into functional circuits and systems that also include room-temperature electronics for amplification, power sources, necessary controls, etc., usually computer operated. Furthermore, complete systems include magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, cryogenic enclosures, and increasingly a cryocooler in self-contained units. Components or devices of low or high critical temperature superconductors include inductances (coils), passive transmission lines, resonators, antennae, filters, as well as active elements: Josephson junctions, Josephson oscillators, and superconducting quantum interference devices. Of multiple demonstrated applications, mostly but not only in science and metrology, currently most successful are voltage standards, astronomy detectors and large telescope cameras, instruments for material characterization, and magnetometers for geomagnetic prospecting. Major current efforts concentrate on energy-efficient high-end computing and quantum computing. The outcomes of these efforts are likely to be known in the course of the following decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on superconducting electronic products and their increasing availability in the market. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometers and susceptometers; SQUID instruments for materials science, physical research and geomagnetic measurements; Analog filters for cellular telephony.

The original version of the article unfortunately contained errors. The acronyms for conventional Josephson voltage standard (CJVS) and programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) were misspelled as CVJC, PJVC and PVJC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flux modulation scheme (FMS) is the standard readout technique of dc SQUIDs, where a step-up transformer links the SQUID to the preamplifier. The transformer's primary winding shunts the SQUID via a large capacitor while the secondary winding connects it to the preamplifier. A modulation flux having a frequency of typically 100 kHz generates an ac voltage across the SQUID, stepped up by the transformer. The SQUID with FMS is customarily operated in the current bias mode, because a constant dc bias current flows only through the SQUID due to the capacitor isolation. With FMS, however, the transformer ac shunts the SQUID so that in reality the operating mode is neither purely current-biased nor voltage-biased but rather nominal currentbiased or "mixed biased." Our objective is to experimentally investigate the consequences of ac shunting of the dc SQUID in FMS and the transformer's transfer characteristics. For different shunt values we measure the change in the SQUID bias current due to the ac shunt using another SQUID in the two-stage readout scheme, and simultaneously monitor the SQUID output voltage signal. We then explain our measurements by a simplified graphic analysis of SQUID intrinsic current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. Since the total current flowing through the SQUID is not constant due to the shunting effect of the transformer, the amplitude of SQUID flux-to-voltage characteristics V(U) is less as compared to the direct readout scheme (DRS). Furthermore, we analyze and compare V(U) obtained by DRS and FMS. We show that in FMS, the transfer characteristics of the SQUID circuit also depend on the isolation capacitance and the dynamic resistance of the SQUID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, it has been shown that voltage-biased readout of SQUIDs with weakly damped junctions (large Stewart-McCumber parameter βc, due to high shunt resistance) is useful for suppression of preamplifier noise. We experimentally studied the characteristics of 53 planar niobium-SQUID magnetometers with junction shunt resistors RJ nominally of 30 Ω fabricated on 5 × 5 mm² chips. The field-to-flux transfer coefficient ∂B=∂Φ of the magnetometers was 1.5 nT/Φ0, with a SQUID loop inductance Ls of about 350 pH. The distributions of important SQUID parameters, such as the current swing Iswing, the dynamic resistance Rd, and the flux-to-voltage transfer coefficient ∂V=∂Φ, are given. Nearly all the SQUIDs could be stably operated in the voltage bias mode and their ∂V=∂Φ reached a large mean value of 380 μV=Φ0. In this case, the SQUIDs can be read out directly by a commercial operational amplifier without any additional means to suppress preamplifier noise. The mean flux noise of the SQUIDs was found to be 4.5 μΦ0 Hz-1/2, corresponding to a field resolution of 7 fT Hz-1/2. To demonstrate the applicability of these SQUIDs in the direct readout scheme, a simple four-channel SQUID gradiometer system was set up to perform magnetocardiography and magnetoencephalography measurements in a magnetically shielded room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A planar superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer consisting of a parallel gradiometer SQUID with integrated input coils connected to an on-chip pickup loop was designed and fabricated in conventional niobium technology. SQUID bootstrap circuitry (SBC) incorporating suitable current and voltage feedbacks was also integrated into the design. For a SQUID inductance of Ls = 350 pH and a chip size of 5 × 5 mm2, the field resolution of the voltage-biased SQUID magnetometer reached <5 fT Hz-1/2 with the bootstrap circuit and an ordinary preamplifier. We also observed that the effective McCumber parameter βc of the junctions is influenced by the bias mode. Indeed, when the nominal junction βc was larger than unity, our SQUID magnetometer operated stably in the voltage bias mode. The device exhibited low noise even without SBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally studied two important parameters of helium-cooled superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) in the voltage bias mode: the dynamic resistance Rd and the flux-to-current transfer coefficient ∂i/∂[uppercase_phi_synonym], with different junction shunt resistors RJ. We investigated a voltage-biased SQUID using the direct readout current-to-voltage converter scheme involving an operational amplifier. At higher RJ, the flux-to-voltage conversion coefficient ∂V/∂[uppercase_phi_synonym] becomes sufficiently large to effectively suppress the room-temperature amplifier's noise without any need for additional feedback circuits. The McCumber parameter limits the rise of ∂V/∂[uppercase_phi_synonym]. We discuss the performance of voltage-biased SQUIDs at different effective McCumber parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SQUID Bootstrap Circuit (SBC) for direct-coupled readout of SQUID signals in voltage bias mode was recently demonstrated. In addition to the conventional dc SQUID, the SBC incorporates a shunt resistor Rs, and two coils coupled to the SQUID via mutual inductances M1 and M2. In this paper, basic equations of SBC are formulated based on its equivalent circuit model. The expression of equivalent flux noise from the preamplifier is also given. The effect of the three adjustable parameters (M1, M2 and Rs) on the characteristics of SBC and the preamplifier noise suppression are numerically simulated. The SBC combines current and voltage feedbacks in one circuit, allowing for an effective suppression of the preamplifier voltage noise through increased flux-current transfer coefficient and dynamic resistance. In contrast to other direct-coupled schemes, it offers not only a good noise performance, but also tolerance to a wide range of adjustable parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recently presented a direct readout technique for the dc Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) without flux modulation (FM), operated in voltage bias mode, and named it the SQUID Bootstrap Circuit (SBC). The SBC combines additional voltage and current feedbacks to minimize the room-temperature preamplifier noise. The main point of this paper is to compare the flux noise performance of the SBC readout with that of the FM scheme using a sine wave modulation signal. Several liquid-helium-cooled SQUID magnetometers with different layouts and loop inductances were characterized using these two readout schemes. Measured noise was comparable to or even lower than that measured by FM electronics. Furthermore, the SBC noise performance was evaluated as function of resistance which, when properly adjusted, permits us to nearly fulfill the critical noise suppression condition. We believe SBC to be a promising candidate for multi-channel SQUID systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals of selected liquid samples were recorded using a nitrogen-cooled superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The NMR measurements were performed at Larmor frequencies (fL) from 2 Hz to 40 kHz. The natural spectral linewidth of tap water could be measured in magnetic fields below 7 microtesla. To demonstrate the measurement sensitivity and resolution, J-coupling spectra of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol were recorded at different measurement fields, with signals separated by several hundreds of Hertz. An additional nitrogen-cooled tuned LC-circuit and a signal recovery procedure involving a π/2 AC pulse were applied in the higher fL region (>10 kHz) to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio up to one order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of low-frequency magnetic field disturbances on SQUID based low field (LF) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements is investigated. Two types of sinusoidal fields, a homogenous field and a linear gradient field, were applied as artificial disturbance sources. The influences on the free induction decay (FIB) signals as well as on the spectra are discussed. The homogeneous disturbance field caused a frequency modulation of the FID signal. The measured spectra were found to be in good agreement with calculated traces obtained from a solution to the Bloch equation. The gradient disturbance field yielded an amplitude-modulated FID signal. In both cases, frequency mixing lines were observed. It is shown that for disturbances at the power line-frequency and harmonics, the influence on the NMR spectra is negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In reported low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements using Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) detection, the pre-polarizing magnetic field has been usually oriented orthogonal to the measuring field, B p ⊥ B m. Melton et al. systematically analyzed the consequences of B p decay in time after turnoff and showed that this decay should be nonadiabatic. We evaluated our measuring procedure in the light of that analysis, and found good quantitative agreement. It was showed that, when the decay time constant is comparable to the precession period of the magnetization of the sample, M , the optimum procedure is to orient B p parallel to B m and to apply a π/2 pulse to flip M , similar as in the case of conventional NMR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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 YBa2Cu3O7-δ 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/[Square_Root]Hz at 88 kHz. The experimental findings are in good agreement with mathematical analysis of the circuit with copper coil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have demonstrated and verified the basic feasibility of performing magnetocardiographic (MCG) measurements without magnetic shielding when using a first-order electronic gradiometer with our novel dielectric substrate resonator rf SQUID's. The setup at the operation site involved adjustment of the gradiometer's baseline length and adaptive balancing. Our experimental portable system was tested in three environments differing in the level of electromagnetic interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors recorded nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of water, benzene, fluorobenzene, and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol in the earth’s magnetic field (EMF) using a nitrogen-cooled superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). In trifluoroethanol, the broadband detection characteristics of the SQUID with a noise floor of about 70 fT/[Square_Root]Hz enabled authors to simultaneously observe fluorine and proton spectra at 1940 and 2060 Hz Larmor frequency, reflecting their heteronuclear J coupling in the high-field limit without showing a measurable chemical shift. To reduce the noise in EMF-NMR, the authors suggest the use of frequency-adjusted averaging, which compensates line broadening due to EMF fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the dc SQUID with voltage feedback circuit (VFC) and a low-noise room-temperature preamplifier to evaluate the feasibility of a low-noise SQUID direct-coupled readout scheme (DRS), possibly eliminating the need for a two-stage scheme employing a SQUID preamplifier. The passive VFC, connected in parallel to the SQUID, consists of a resistor Rs in series with an inductor Ls. This inductor is coupled to the SQUID by a mutual inductance Ms. The purpose of the VFC is to increase the SQUID’s flux-to-voltage transfer coefficient ∂V/∂Φ, thus reducing the preamplifier noise contribution δΦpreamp. However, at the same time, VFC introduces the thermal noise of Rs, δΦR, which may not be negligible. Generally, the noise of the readout scheme, δΦreadout, may thus include both δΦpreamp and δΦR, i.e., δΦreadout2 = δΦpreamp2 + δΦR2. To characterize the SQUID operation with VFC we introduced two dimensionless parameters, r = Rs/Rd and Δ = (Ms/Mdyn) − (Rs/Rd), where Rd and Mdyn = 1/(∂i/∂Φ) are dynamic properties of the SQUID itself. For assumed intrinsic SQUID parameters, we then numerically analyzed the dependence of δΦreadout noise components on r and Δ to determine their suitable ranges and the minimum of δΦreadout. To verify our analysis, we experimentally characterized, in liquid helium, three niobium SQUIDs with VFC, having suitably chosen r and Δ. The measured SQUID system flux noise was on the order of 1 μΦ0/√Hz, comparable to the intrinsic noise of the SQUID itself. The deduced equivalent voltage noise was comparable to that of a SQUID preamplifier in the two-stage readout. Simple single-stage ultra-low-noise SQUID DRS readout was thus demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally studied weakly damped superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) shunted by an external resistor Rs and operated in either current- or voltage-bias mode. The SQUID parameters, such as the flux-to-voltage transfer coefficient ∂V/∂[uppercase_phi_synonym] and the dynamic resistance Rd, are reduced due to Rs, while the SQUID intrinsic noise remains unchanged. The reduced parameters can be enhanced again by using voltage feedback circuitry. Furthermore, Rs can be used to damp the SQUID in order to avoid the appearance of hysteresis or oscillation in SQUID characteristics. SQUID shunted by small Rs is always operated in mixed-bias mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated niobium thin film superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) with large Steward-McCumber parameter (βc > 1). No hysteresis was observed in the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the SQUIDs, even for βc ≈ 17. We attribute the absence of hysteresis to an excess voltage noise of the junctions which increases the SQUID intrinsic noise δ[uppercase_phi_synonym]s. It can be represented by an effective noise temperature T* of the SQUID which is higher than the bath temperature T. We simulated SQUID I-V characteristics using the measured device parameters and confirmed the absence of hysteresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]