Dayem Bridge Based Nano-SQUID for High Sensitive Nanoscale Applications A recent progress in nanotechnology formulates the fabrication of SQUIDs loop less than 100 nm; its obtaining an adequate sensitivity to detect the magnetic nano-objects. These nano-SQUIDs can be employed to measure small clusters of atomic magnetic moment, to obtain an inductive readout sensor in single-photon detectors and they have been proposed as a magnetic qubit for quantum computing. The research activities at CNR-ICIB has been devoted to the design, fabrication and characterization of nano-SQUIDs based on niobium Dayem Bridge and its magnetization measurements of nanoparticles for advance study of nanomagnetism. Here, I have reported the designs, the fabrication processes and the experimental performances (voltage flux characteristics, spin noise performance) of these nano-devices and also the groundwork measurement of nanoparticles magnetization using switching current measurement method operating in CNR-ICIB laboratory. Design and Fabrication: Many devices are fabrication using advanced electron beam lithography techniques with conventional photolithography, lift off and reactive ion etching techniques. The fabricated devices can be divided into two categories, first bilayer device or non hysteretic device and second single layer device or hysteretic device. a)Non-Hysteretic Device: The bilayer device consists of a niobium loop with a hole of 200nm interrupted by two bridges having length and width dimensions of 100nm X 80nm, 80nm X 60nm etc. The superconducting loop has a washer shape in order to enhance the heat dissipation during the working operations when the sensor is current biased in resistive mode. The device includes a micrometric integrated niobium coil located very close to the nano-sensor in order to modulate, tune and operate the SQUID in FLL mode. b)Hysteretic Device: The single layer devices having two Dayem Bridges of 90nm x 250nm and loop sizes of 2, 1 and 0.75μm, consist of a single niobium layer 20nm thick pattern by electron beam lithography and shaped by lift-off. The SQUIDs were designed to have a hysteretic current-voltage characteristic in order to work as a magnetic flux-current transducer. Performances: a)Non-Hysteretic Device: An intrinsic voltage swing and a maximum responsivity of 75 μV and 1.5 mV/Φ0 can be estimated from the experimental data. Our interest is focused on the characterization in small signal mode, because the magnetic flux coupled into device is expected to be much smaller than Ф0. In fact, such devices are designed to measure very small magnetic fields arising from a local nano-object. The sensor exhibits a magnetic flux noise level of 1.5μΦ0/Hz1/2 in the white region corresponding to a spin noise, in unit of Bohr magneton, of Sn1/2=2aSΦ1/2/(μBμ0)~60 spin/Hz1/2 where a is the radius of the SQUID loop, μ0 is the magnetic vacuum permeability and μB = 9.27 × 10−24 J/T. This value is comparable with the best value reported in the literature. It is worth noting that these sensors show a wide linear region in the V- Φ characteristics; the non-linearity effects are not evident up to 0.02 Φ0. b)Hysteretic Device: The second single layer device shows hysteretic I-V characteristics which are used as magnetic flux-current transducer. The magnetic pattern determines the responsivity of the SQUID, defined as the variation of the critical current as function of the external magnetic flux variation dIc/dΦ; in the present work responsivity up to 30μA/Φ0 have been obtained. The maximum magnetic flux coupled to the 2 and 1 micron loop size is about 2 and 0.5 Φ0 respectively. A critical current modulation is about 20%. An intrinsic sensor magnetic flux resolution less than 1 mΦ0, can be estimated from the intrinsic current fluctuation. The main interest of such devices is magnetization measurement of small magnetic particles by switching current techniques. Simulation Results: We have computed performance of nano-superconducting-quantum-interference devices (SQUIDs) in view of their employment in the detection of small spin populations. The analysis has been focused on nano-SQUID sensors having a square loop with a side length of 200 nm. We have calculated the spin sensitivity and the magnetic response relative to the single Bohr magneton (single spin), as a function of its position within the SQUID hole. The results predict that the SQUID response depends strongly on the spin position. The projected information’s are very useful to optimize the sensor performance in view of the most nanomagnetism applications. Preliminary Measurements of Nanoparticle Magnetization: We have effectively employed non-hysteretic sensor for nanoparticle magnetization investigation in view of nano-magnetism applications. We have performed preliminary measurements with and without iron oxide nanoparticles on the SQUID loop showing that the presence of magnetic nanoparticles can be easily detected and the magnetic relaxation curve measured. To test the capability of our devices in order to detect the magnetization of nanoparticles, we deposited iron oxide nanoparticles, having an average diameter of about 16nm, on chips containing characterized sensors. Here we report the measurement performed on the device with 1μm loop. The presence of iron nanoparticles did not change appreciably the magnetic pattern obtained using the integrated coil (magnetic field normal to the SQUID plane), however the nanoparticle presence was evident by the critical current measurement performed with magnetic field generated using the external solenoid (magnetic field parallel to the SQUID plane). Using the measured responsivity for this particular device (27μA/Φ0) the critical current variation was converted to magnetic flux variation. It is worth to note that with the present electronic at 100Hz to acquire 104 measurements it takes about 100s. The above results clearly indicating that the sensor can be effectively used in nano-magnetism applications.
Dayem Bridge Based Nano-SQUID for High Sensitive Nanoscale Applications A recent progress in nanotechnology formulates the fabrication of SQUIDs loop less than 100 nm; its obtaining an adequate sensitivity to detect the magnetic nano-objects. These nano-SQUIDs can be employed to measure small clusters of atomic magnetic moment, to obtain an inductive readout sensor in single-photon detectors and they have been proposed as a magnetic qubit for quantum computing. The research activities at CNR-ICIB has been devoted to the design, fabrication and characterization of nano-SQUIDs based on niobium Dayem Bridge and its magnetization measurements of nanoparticles for advance study of nanomagnetism. Here, I have reported the designs, the fabrication processes and the experimental performances (voltage flux characteristics, spin noise performance) of these nano-devices and also the groundwork measurement of nanoparticles magnetization using switching current measurement method operating in CNR-ICIB laboratory. Design and Fabrication: Many devices are fabrication using advanced electron beam lithography techniques with conventional photolithography, lift off and reactive ion etching techniques. The fabricated devices can be divided into two categories, first bilayer device or non hysteretic device and second single layer device or hysteretic device. a)Non-Hysteretic Device: The bilayer device consists of a niobium loop with a hole of 200nm interrupted by two bridges having length and width dimensions of 100nm X 80nm, 80nm X 60nm etc. The superconducting loop has a washer shape in order to enhance the heat dissipation during the working operations when the sensor is current biased in resistive mode. The device includes a micrometric integrated niobium coil located very close to the nano-sensor in order to modulate, tune and operate the SQUID in FLL mode. b)Hysteretic Device: The single layer devices having two Dayem Bridges of 90nm x 250nm and loop sizes of 2, 1 and 0.75μm, consist of a single niobium layer 20nm thick pattern by electron beam lithography and shaped by lift-off. The SQUIDs were designed to have a hysteretic current-voltage characteristic in order to work as a magnetic flux-current transducer. Performances: a)Non-Hysteretic Device: An intrinsic voltage swing and a maximum responsivity of 75 μV and 1.5 mV/Φ0 can be estimated from the experimental data. Our interest is focused on the characterization in small signal mode, because the magnetic flux coupled into device is expected to be much smaller than Ф0. In fact, such devices are designed to measure very small magnetic fields arising from a local nano-object. The sensor exhibits a magnetic flux noise level of 1.5μΦ0/Hz1/2 in the white region corresponding to a spin noise, in unit of Bohr magneton, of Sn1/2=2aSΦ1/2/(μBμ0)~60 spin/Hz1/2 where a is the radius of the SQUID loop, μ0 is the magnetic vacuum permeability and μB = 9.27 × 10−24 J/T. This value is comparable with the best value reported in the literature. It is worth noting that these sensors show a wide linear region in the V- Φ characteristics; the non-linearity effects are not evident up to 0.02 Φ0. b)Hysteretic Device: The second single layer device shows hysteretic I-V characteristics which are used as magnetic flux-current transducer. The magnetic pattern determines the responsivity of the SQUID, defined as the variation of the critical current as function of the external magnetic flux variation dIc/dΦ; in the present work responsivity up to 30μA/Φ0 have been obtained. The maximum magnetic flux coupled to the 2 and 1 micron loop size is about 2 and 0.5 Φ0 respectively. A critical current modulation is about 20%. An intrinsic sensor magnetic flux resolution less than 1 mΦ0, can be estimated from the intrinsic current fluctuation. The main interest of such devices is magnetization measurement of small magnetic particles by switching current techniques. Simulation Results: We have computed performance of nano-superconducting-quantum-interference devices (SQUIDs) in view of their employment in the detection of small spin populations. The analysis has been focused on nano-SQUID sensors having a square loop with a side length of 200 nm. We have calculated the spin sensitivity and the magnetic response relative to the single Bohr magneton (single spin), as a function of its position within the SQUID hole. The results predict that the SQUID response depends strongly on the spin position. The projected information’s are very useful to optimize the sensor performance in view of the most nanomagnetism applications. Preliminary Measurements of Nanoparticle Magnetization: We have effectively employed non-hysteretic sensor for nanoparticle magnetization investigation in view of nano-magnetism applications. We have performed preliminary measurements with and without iron oxide nanoparticles on the SQUID loop showing that the presence of magnetic nanoparticles can be easily detected and the magnetic relaxation curve measured. To test the capability of our devices in order to detect the magnetization of nanoparticles, we deposited iron oxide nanoparticles, having an average diameter of about 16nm, on chips containing characterized sensors. Here we report the measurement performed on the device with 1μm loop. The presence of iron nanoparticles did not change appreciably the magnetic pattern obtained using the integrated coil (magnetic field normal to the SQUID plane), however the nanoparticle presence was evident by the critical current measurement performed with magnetic field generated using the external solenoid (magnetic field parallel to the SQUID plane). Using the measured responsivity for this particular device (27μA/Φ0) the critical current variation was converted to magnetic flux variation. It is worth to note that with the present electronic at 100Hz to acquire 104 measurements it takes about 100s. The above results clearly indicating that the sensor can be effectively used in nano-magnetism applications.
We report on the design, the fabrication and the performance of an integrated magnetic nano-sensor based on niobium dc-SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) for nanoscale applications is presented. The nano-sensors are based on nanometric niobium constrictions (Dayem bridges) inserted in a square loop having a side length of 200 nm. Measurements of voltage-flux characteristic, flux to voltage transfer factor and noise performances are reported. In small signal mode, the sensors have shown a magnetic flux noise spectral density of 1.5 μΦ 0 /Hz 1/2 corresponding to a spin sensitivity in unit of Bohr magneton of 60 spin/Hz 1/2 . Supercurrent decay measurements of these devices are also reported. Such measurements provide useful information for applications which employ the SQUID as a trigger where the sensor works on the zero voltage state. The experimental data, have shown an intrinsic current fluctuation less than 0.2% of the critical current at liquid helium temperature, corresponding to an intrinsic sensor magnetic flux resolution of a few mΦ 0 . In view of the nano-SQUID employments in the detection of small spin populations, the authors calculated the spin sensitivity and the magnetic response relative to the single spin, as a function of its position within the SQUID hole. The results show that the SQUID response depends strongly on the spin position.
An integrated magnetic nanosensor based on a niobium dc SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) for nanoscale applications is presented. The sensor, having a washer shape with a hole of 200 nm and two Josephson-Dayem nanobridges of 80 nm × 100 nm, consists of a Nb(30 nm)/Al(30 nm) bilayer patterned by electron beam lithography (EBL) and shaped by lift-off and reactive ion etch (RIE) processes. The presence of the niobium coils, integrated on-chip and tightly coupled to the SQUID, allows us to easily excite the sensor in order to get the voltage-flux characteristics and to flux bias the SQUID at its optimal point. The measurements were performed at liquid helium temperature. A voltage swing of 75 µV and a maximum voltage-flux transfer coefficient (responsivity) as high as 1 mV/Φ(0) were directly measured from the voltage-flux characteristic. The noise measurements were performed in open loop mode, biasing the SQUID with a dc magnetic flux at its maximum responsivity point and using direct-coupled low-noise readout electronics. A white magnetic flux noise spectral density as low as 2.5 μΦ(0) Hz(-1/2) was achieved, corresponding to a magnetization or spin sensitivity in units of the Bohr magneton of 100 spin Hz(-1/2). Possible applications of this nanosensor can be envisaged in magnetic detection of nanoparticles and small clusters of atoms and molecules, in the measurement of nanoobject magnetization, and in quantum computing.
A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) miniaturized into the nanoscale is promising in the inductive detection of a single electron spin. A nano-SQUID with a strong spin coupling coefficient, a low flux noise, and a wide working magnetic field range is highly desired in a single spin resonance measurement. Nano-SQUIDs with Dayem bridge junctions excel in a high working field range and in the direct coupling from spins to the bridge. However, the common planar structure of nano-SQUIDs is known for problems such as a shallow flux modulation depth and a troublesome hysteresis in current–voltage curves. Here, we developed a fabrication process for creating three-dimensional (3-D) niobium (Nb) nano-SQUIDs with nanobridge junctions that can be tuned independently. Characterization of the device shows up to 45.9% modulation depth with a reversible current–voltage curve. Owning to the large modulation depth, the measured flux noise is as low as 0.34 μΦ 0 /Hz 1/2 . The working field range of the SQUID is greater than 0.5 T parallel to the SQUID plane. We believe that 3-D Nb nano-SQUIDs provide a promising step toward effective single-spin inductive detection.
Abstract Nano-superconducting quantum interference devices (nano-SQUIDs) with high energy sensitivity and spatial resolution are essential in many applications such as single spin detection, nano-electromechanical vibration detection and microscale magnetic imaging. This paper studies a Dayem-type niobium nano-SQUID using focus ion beam milling technology. The device has two 42 nm × 60 nm nano-bridges and an integrated on-chip Nb modulation flux line located beside the SQUID loop with a 100 nm nanogap. The non-hysteretic temperature range of the nano-SQUID is about 1.4 K from 4.6 K to 6.0 K, which could broaden the operation temperature range of the device. The maximal transfer coefficient V Φ and peak-to-peak voltage ΔV are 8.53 mV/Φ 0 and 430 μV at 4.8 K, respectively.
In the recent years, nanoscale superconducting quantum interference devices (nano-SQUIDs) played a fundamental role in the study of small spin systems. Nano-SQUIDs typically employ nano-Dayem bridges having dimensions (length L and/or width W) greater than coherence length $\ensuremath{\xi}$ of the superconducting film. They exhibit characteristics different from those of standard SQUIDs because the current-phase relationship (CPR) is nonsinusoidal, rendering most of the theoretical predictions based on the standard SQUID theory usually unreliable. Here, we present a noise theory of dc nano-SQUIDs based on Dayem nanobridges. We have computed the main characteristics of this quantum device including current-voltage and voltage-magnetic flux characteristics, magnetic flux-to-voltage transfer factor, and spectral densities of voltage and magnetic flux noise for L/$\ensuremath{\xi}$ ratios ranging from 1 (sinusoidal limit) to 3.5 (hysteretic limit). The CPRs have been computed by using the theory of Josephson weak links based on the Ginzburg--Landau equation. The results show a dependence of the magnetic flux noise spectral density on (L/$\ensuremath{\xi}$)4/3 involving a degradation of about a factor of five between the two extreme cases and are consistent with experimentally measured magnetic flux noises reported in the literature. These results provide useful information for both device physics and their applications.
We have designed and characterized a micro-SQUID with dispersive readout for use in low temperature scanning probe microscopy systems. The design features a capacitively shunted RF SQUID with a tunable resonance frequency from 5 to 12 GHz, micrometer spatial resolution, and integrated superconducting coils for local application of magnetic fields. The SQUID is operated as a nonlinear oscillator with a flux- and power-dependent resonance frequency. Measurements for device characterization and noise benchmarking were carried out at 4 K. The measured flux noise above 10 kHz at 4 K is 80 nΦ0 Hz−1∕2 at a bandwidth of 200 MHz. Estimations suggest that one can benefit from parametric gain based on inherent nonlinearity of the Josephson junction and reduce the flux noise to 30 nΦ0Hz–1∕2 at 100 mK, which corresponds to 10.6 μBHz–1∕2 for a magnetic moment located at the center of the pickup loop.Measuring the magnetic response of mesoscopic samples or mapping it vs. position for extended systems is effective methods for revealing the fundamental quantum properties of condensed matter systems. Over the past few decades, many advanced magnetic imaging schemes have been developed, including magnetic force microscopy,1 scanning Hall probe microscopy,2 superconducting interference devices (SQUIDs),3,4 and NV center based magnetometry.5 The high sensitivity, low back action, and low power dissipation of SQUIDs make them attractive for many types of low temperature experiments. One classic example is the central role of scanning SQUID microscopy in tests of pairing symmetry of high-Tc cuprate superconductors.6 Other prominent applications are the thermodynamic characteristics of persistent currents in normal metal rings7 and proof of edge states in topological insulators in the quantum spin Hall regime.8A key performance for a SQUID is its flux sensitivity. Parametric amplification has been harnessed in nano-SQUIDs based on aluminum junctions9,10 in order to reduce the flux noise down to 30 nΦ0Hz–1∕2 with a bandwidth exceeding 60 MHz.10 Recent studies on parametric amplifiers and dispersive readout of superconducting qubits also harness the nonlinearity of the Josephson junction to boost sensitivity.11–13In scanning SQUID microscopy, signal sources often behave dipole-like, such as superconducting vortices in mesoscopic dots or currents in mesoscopic rings. Smaller SQUIDs provide better coupling to smaller samples which leads to higher spin sensitivity3,14 as the magnetic field of a dipole decreases with 1/r3. Various approaches have been pursued to reduce the size. The smallest nano-SQUID to date has been fabricated by evaporating Nb or Pb15 onto the apex of a sharp quartz tip reaching a loop diameter of below nm and a spin sensitivity of 0.38 μBHz−1/2 at tens of kHz bandwidth. Compared to such size-optimized devices, micro-SQUIDs fabricated using a standard Nb technique have the advantage of on-chip field coils and modulation coils,14 and can be operated at 4 K allowing for a wide range of applications. However, these come at the cost of larger pick-up loops of a few microns and a resulting poorer spin sensitivity of 200 μBHz−1/2 for a magnetic moment located at the center of the pickup loop.The limitation of large pickup loops was previously only overcome by devices with pickup loops defined by the focused-ion-beam,16 but has recently also been achieved by improvements in lithography and shown to offer better spatial resolution as well.17 Here, we present a scanning micro-SQUID which is based on the same fabrication technology incorporating another major advancement. Our design exploits the parametric amplification based on nonlinearities of the SQUID to boost sensitivity. The combination of a smaller pickup loop and parametric amplification of the signal leads to better spin sensitivity (10.6 μBHz−1/2) and higher bandwidth (200 MHz) compared to traditional DC micro-SQUIDs in which the flux sensitivity is mainly limited by internal dissipation.Our devices were fabricated at Hypres Inc. using planarized Nb/AlOx/Nb trilayer Josephson junction technology, including two planarized Nb layers with approximately 0.8 μm minimum feature size. The SQUID consists of a superconducting ring shunted by one Josephson junction with a designed critical current of 20 μA [Fig. 1(a)]. With this geometry, the SQUID is gradiometric, i.e., the effect of any homogeneous background magnetic field approximately cancels out. The smallest pickup loops implemented have an inner (outer) diameter of 1 μm (2 μm). The superconducting loop is shunted by an on-chip parallel-plate capacitor with amorphous silicon dioxide as dielectric which was designed to have a capacitance of 80 pF. The superconducting loop and the capacitor form a resonator with a flux dependent resonance frequency from 5 to 12 GHz. The pickup loops are placed on opposite corners of the parallel-plate capacitor at a distance of about 450 μm so that one loop can be located in close proximity to the sample while the other is kept far away from it. External fields can be applied to the sample by local single-turn field coils situated around each pickup loop. The field coils are fully integrated into the chip layout and can also be used to bias the SQUID at its most sensitive point. Compared to using additional modulation coils,14 this approach has the advantage of reducing the total device inductance, which leads to a higher sensitivity.18 In a scanning microscope, the field coil at the rear end (away from the sample) can be used to bias the SQUID or operate it in flux feedback such that resulting stray fields will not act on the sample, apart from a weak screening current through the pickup loop. The effective diameter of each coil is 7.5 μm, resulting in a mutual inductance of about 0.34 Φ0/mA (for the smallest pickup loop). The SQUID resonator is connected by an on-chip Z0 = 50 Ω coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission line to the bonding pads. The two field coils are connected by two smaller CPWs to the bottom edge bonding pads [Fig. 1(c)], ending in two parallel-stripline waveguides running alongside the edges of the capacitor towards the respective field coils. Based on estimations, it should thus be possible to apply high frequency signals of at least several GHz to SQUID and sample.