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arXiv:1901.08786 · Applied Physics Letters

High-Tc superconducting detector for highly-sensitive microwave magnetometry

F. Couëdo, Eliana Recoba Pawlowski, Julien Kermorvant, Juan Trastoy, Denis Crété, Yves Lemaı̂tre, Bruno Marcilhac, C. Ulysse, C. Feuillet-Palma, N. Bergeal, Jérôme Lesueur

Published May 13, 2019• 27 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We have fabricated arrays of High-Tc Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) with randomly distributed loop sizes as sensitive detectors for Radio Frequency (RF) waves. These subwavelength size devices known as Superconducting Quantum Interference Filters (SQIFs) detect the magnetic component of the electromagnetic field. We used a scalable ion irradiation technique to pattern the circuits and engineer the Josephson junctions needed to make SQUIDs. Here, we report on a 300 SQUID series array with the loop area ranging from 6 to 60 μm2, folded in a meander line covering a 3.5 mm × 120 μm substrate area, made out of a 150 nm thick YBa2Cu3O7 film. Operating at a temperature of T = 66 K in an unshielded magnetic environment under low DC bias current (I = 60 μA) and a DC magnetic field (B = 3 μT), this SQIF can detect a magnetic field of a few picoteslas at a frequency of 1.125 GHz, which corresponds to a sensitivity of a few hundreds of fT/Hz and shows a linear response over 7 decades in RF power. This work is a promising approach for the realization of low dissipative subwavelength gigahertz magnetometers.

DOI
10.1063/1.5090175

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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 22, 2020•1 citation
We have fabricated arrays of High-Tc Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) with randomly distributed loop sizes as sensitive detectors for Radio Frequency (RF) waves. These subwavelength size devices known as Superconducting Quantum Interference Filters (SQIFs) detect the magnetic component of the electromagnetic field. We used a scalable ion irradiation technique to pattern the circuits and engineer the Josephson junctions needed to make SQUIDs. Here, we report on a 300 SQUID series array with the loop area ranging from 6 to 60 μm2, folded in a meander line covering a 3.5 mm × 120 μm substrate area, made out of a 150 nm thick YBa2Cu3O7 film. Operating at a temperature of T = 66 K in an unshielded magnetic environment under low DC bias current (I = 60 μA) and a DC magnetic field (B = 3 μT), this SQIF can detect a magnetic field of a few picoteslas at a frequency of 1.125 GHz, which corresponds to a sensitivity of a few hundreds of fT/Hz and shows a linear response over 7 decades in RF power. This work is a promising approach for the realization of low dissipative subwavelength gigahertz magnetometers.
The superconducting quantum interference filter (SQIF) is a new type of superconducting device which has been recently proposed for highly sensitive magnetometers for absolute magnetic field measurements. It benefits of very high voltage-to-field response, which is, in contrast conventional dc SQUIDs, not periodical. The SQIF can also be used as a radiofrequency amplifier in a similar way as the dc SQUID that can operate in a gigahertz frequency range. We designed a series type of SQIF amplifier that is compatible to conventional YBa2Cu3O7(YBCO) technology on bicrystal substrates. We present analytical, numerical and scale modeling as well as first electrical measurements results at frequencies up to 10 GHz. The SQIF array consists of 50 loops with randomly distributed areas from 0.5 to 1.5 times of . We also compared it to the regular array of conventional SQUIDs with the same loop areas. We have additional dc contacts to each 5-th SQUIDs and the SQIFs for control and comparison. Devices are fabricated using Josephson junctions with 3 mum width formed in YBCO over 24/24 and 12/12 degrees grain boundaries in yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) bicrystal substrates.
Abstract Superconducting quantum interference filters (SQIF) are promising devices for radio frequency (RF) detection combining low noise, high sensitivity, large dynamic range and wide-band capabilities. Impressive progress has been made recently in the field, with SQIF based antennas and amplifiers showing interesting properties in the GHz range using the well-established Nb/AlO x technology. The possibility to extend these results to high temperature superconductors (HTS) is still open, and different techniques to fabricate HTS SQIFs compete to make RF devices. We report on the DC and RF response of a high temperature SQIF fabricated by the ion irradiation technique. It is made up of 1000 superconducting quantum interference devices in series, with loop areas randomly distributed between 6 and 60 μ m 2 . The DC transfer factor is ∼450 V T −1 at optimal bias and temperature, and the maximum voltage swing ∼2.5 mV. We show that such a SQIF detects RF signals up to 150 MHz. It presents linear characteristics for RF power spanning more than five decades, and non-linearities develop beyond P RF = −35 dBm in our set-up configuration. The second harmonic generation has been shown to be at a minimum at the functioning point in the whole range of frequencies. A model has been developed which captures the essential features of the SQIF RF response.
We have developed a novel coplanar resonator serving as a tank circuit for radio frequency washer superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Two coplanar lines surrounded the circular flux concentrator washer, 13.4 mm in diameter. The SQUID, 3.5 mm in diameter, was coupled to the concentrator in the flip-chip configuration. All parts were fabricated from single-layer epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 films on LaAlO3 substrates. In this layout, the resonant frequency could be set between 600 and 850 MHz. With SQUID loops of 100×100 μm2 (SQUID) inductance Ls=150 pH or 10×500 μm2 (Ls=260 pH), we determined at 77 K white flux noise levels Sφ1/2 of 1.0×10−5 and 1.5×10−5φ0/Hz, respectively. Both figures corresponded to the field resolution of about 30 fT/Hz.
High-transition temperature dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been fabricated with arrays of slots or holes patterned in the 186×204 μm2 washers. In two designs, with seven slots or 248 holes, the linewidth of the remaining YBa2Cu3O7−x film was 4 μm. These devices exhibited virtually no increase in their low-frequency noise when they were cooled in static magnetic fields up to a certain threshold, above 100 μT in the best case. Furthermore, the mutual inductance between these devices and a seven-turn, spiral coil was at least 85% of that for a solid SQUID with the same outer dimensions.
We present experimental results on the magnetic field B dependent voltage response V(B) of a number of N resistively shunted Josephson junctions connected in parallel by a multiple loop network. For an appropriate distribution of the array loop sizes, such networks constitute superconducting quantum interference filters (SQIFs) with voltage response functions V(B) that are not /spl Phi//sub 0/-periodic. The voltage response of SQIFs is a unique function around a global minimum at B=0 that has a high sensitivity and a low noise level. In contrast to conventional superconducting quantum interference devices, SQIFs can be directly employed as highly sensitive magnetometers allowing the absolute measurement of magnetic fields. The experimental results are in very good agreement with the theoretical predictions on which basis the SQIF has been fabricated, All findings suggest that superconducting quantum interference filters may allow the design of novel superconducting devices.
Superconducting quantum interference filter (SQIF) is an array of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) with different loop sizes. Such a device is capable of providing a much higher transfer factor and much higher magnetic field sensitivity with respect to those of single SQUID. Series niobium nitride (NbN) SQIF containing 400 SQUIDs with randomly varied loop areas and epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN Josephson junctions have been developed, fabricated, and measured at helium temperature. The device shows a nonperiodic voltage response with a single sharp peak at zero magnetic field. The measured magnetic flux to voltage trans fer factor reaches 37.8 mV/Φ0at 4.2 K.