Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Superconductor Science and Technology

Noise properties of SQUIDs made from nanobridges

S. K. H. Lam

Published Aug 7, 2006• 30 citations
Publisher

Abstract

For the fabrication of nanoscale SQUIDs, for example having loop diameters of order 1 µm or smaller, the conventional trilayer window-type Josephson junctions are too large. Instead, we consider the use of nanobridge junctions with dimensions of order 100 nm. The problem of hysteresis in the junctions' current–voltage characteristic (IVC) is avoided by depositing a gold overlayer, which serves as both a thermal and electrical shunt. Noise measurement of dc SQUIDs which incorporate such Nb nanobridges as the Josephson junctions are reported. Devices having different IVCs were fabricated and characterized. The best device has a flux noise of 5 × 10 −6 Φ 0 Hz −1/2 at 4.2 K, and there is no significant increase in the noise level in a static magnetic field up to 2 mT. Techniques for increasing the voltage modulation depth, and hence improving the flux noise performance, are discussed.

DOI
10.1088/0953-2048/19/9/012

Related papers

Noise characteristics of NbN nanobridge dc SQUIDs fabricated by field emission technique

Shiro Nagaoka, Akinobu Irie, Katsuyoshi Hamasaki +1 more

Abstract NbN nanobridge dc SQUIDs were fabricated by the field evaporation method and their noise characteristics were evaluated. The fabricated device has a magnetic flux‐voltage conversion efficiency Φ of about 2.5 mV/Φ0 and hence the device has a higher gain than that of the tunneling‐type device with a resistive shunt. The energy resolution is as small as 40 h. When the fabricated SQUID was installed in an FLL circuit and the dynamic range was measured, it is found that an output is proportional to the input for the input magnetic flux of ±32Φ0 without removing the lock. The magnetic flux resolution of the FLL circuit used is 9 × 10−10 Φ02/Hz in the white noise region (at 3 kHz). In the low‐frequency region less than 100 Hz, the 1/f noise described by 5.8 × 10−8 (1/f)Φ02/Hz was observed. This value of the magnetic flux resolution is large by one order of magnitude than that inherent to the device and the noise of the electronics is predominant.

Electronics and Communications in Japan (Part II Electronics)•Jan 1, 1991•0 citations

Low noise DC SQUIDs fabricated in Nb-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-Nb trilayer technology

M. B. Ketchen, Manjul Bhushan, Steven B. Kaplan +1 more

The authors have designed, fabricated and tested all-refractory DC SQUIDs in Nb-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-Nb trilayer technology that have noise performance comparable to the best previously reported for any technology. A variety of SQUID designs were incorporated as part of a trilayer process development test vehicle. SQUID inductance, junction area, and resistive shunt geometry were varied in matrix fashion to give SQUIDs with near-optimum parameter values for a factor of five range in Josephson current density and shunt sheet resistance. The devices were fabricated using a selective niobium anodization with a minimum feature size of 2 mu m. The base electrode and Nb wiring were patterned with dry etching, and the junction areas were defined by anodization: the Ti resistors were patterned with a lift-off process. Current density on different wafers was varied from 400 to 1000 A/cm/sup 2/ with typical junction V/sub m/'s of 60 mV. The shunt sheet resistance was varied in the 1-5- Omega / Square Operator range. The noise was measured with an RF SQUID direct small-signal readout scheme. A 50-pH SQUID with 3- mu m/sup 2/, 16- mu A junctions and 14- Omega shunt resistors was shown to have an ideally low white noise of 1*10/sup -13/ Phi /sub 0//sup 2//Hz, a white to 1/f crossover frequency at 7 Hz, and a noise level less than 6*10/sup -12/ Phi /sub 0//sup 2//Hz at 0.1 Hz.

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Mar 1, 1991•24 citations

Ultra low noise Nb DC SQUIDs

Richard F. Voss, Robert B. Laibowitz, Alec Nigel Broers +3 more

Electron-beam lithography has been used to produce ultra low noise Nb dc SQUIDs (Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices) with Josephson elements consisting of either small area tunnel junctions or very narrow variable thickness bridges (nanobridges). Detailed voltage noise and transfer function measurements have been made as a function of temperature and flux and current bias. These measurements allow a computation of the intrinsic energy resolution ε vs bias parameters as well as comparison with models of intrinsic SQUID noise. The best ε obtained was of order Planck's constant h. Moreover, the detailed characteristics of the SQUID voltage noise are in agreement with a small signal analysis that depends only on the current noise in each of the Josephson elements and measurable parameters.

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Jan 1, 1981•48 citations

Origin of 1/f noise in Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x step-edge dc SQUIDs

Dirk Grundler, Rainer Eckart, Bernd R. David +1 more

We have fabricated Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x step-edge junction dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and characterized their noise performance. The current-voltage characteristics of our SQUIDs are of resistively shunted junction type with critical current densities jc of about 104 A/cm2 and maximum flux to voltage transfer functions δV/δΦ of 20 μV/Φ0 at 77 K. We compare model predictions for 1/f noise in dc SQUIDs with experimental data and show that the frequency dependent noise in our devices results from critical current fluctuations of the Josephson junctions. A bias current reversing technique is effective in suppressing this noise contribution. A flux noise Φn of 80 μΦ0/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz and 77 K was measured on a dc SQUID with an inductance Ls of 60 pH.

Applied Physics Letters•Apr 26, 1993•24 citations

Flux noise in ion-implanted nanoSQUIDs

Giuseppe Carlo Tettamanzi, Chris I. Pakes, S. K. H. Lam +1 more

Focused ion-beam (FIB) technology has been used to fabricate miniature Nb DC SQUIDs (superconducting quantum interference devices) which incorporate resistively shunted microbridge junctions and a central loop with a hole diameter ranging from 1058 to 50 nm. The smallest device, with a 50 nm hole diameter, has a white flux noise level of 2.6 µΦ 0 Hz −1/2 at 10 4 Hz. The scaling of the flux noise properties and focusing effect of the SQUID with the hole size were examined. The observed low frequency flux noises of different devices were compared with the contribution due to the spin fluctuation of defects introduced during FIB processing and of thermally activated flux hopping in the SQUID washer.

arXiv:1003.5436•Superconductor Science and Technology•May 14, 2009•11 citations

Study of Low-Frequency Noise Performance of Nanobridge-Based SQUIDs in External Magnetic Fields

S. Rozhko, T. Hino, A. Blois +4 more

We report on the low-frequency noise performance of niobium dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), which contain nanobridges fabricated by focused ion beam lithography as the active Josephson elements. The devices have feature sizes down to 70 nm. We have measured devices of different loop sizes in two readout configurations: nano-scale loop sizes in small signal mode using a series SQUID array as a low-temperature pre-amplifier, and larger micron-scale loop sizes in a conventional flux-locked loop. We investigate the different contributions to the low frequency noise and report on electrical measurements made in applied magnetic fields of up to 0.5 T (in-plane) and 0.1 T (perpendicular to the plane) at operating temperatures around 7 K. We compare the measurements with the existing theories of noise in a dc SQUID.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Dec 11, 2012•6 citations
For the fabrication of nanoscale SQUIDs, for example having loop diameters of order 1 µm or smaller, the conventional trilayer window-type Josephson junctions are too large. Instead, we consider the use of nanobridge junctions with dimensions of order 100 nm. The problem of hysteresis in the junctions' current–voltage characteristic (IVC) is avoided by depositing a gold overlayer, which serves as both a thermal and electrical shunt. Noise measurement of dc SQUIDs which incorporate such Nb nanobridges as the Josephson junctions are reported. Devices having different IVCs were fabricated and characterized. The best device has a flux noise of 5 × 10 −6 Φ 0 Hz −1/2 at 4.2 K, and there is no significant increase in the noise level in a static magnetic field up to 2 mT. Techniques for increasing the voltage modulation depth, and hence improving the flux noise performance, are discussed.
Abstract NbN nanobridge dc SQUIDs were fabricated by the field evaporation method and their noise characteristics were evaluated. The fabricated device has a magnetic flux‐voltage conversion efficiency Φ of about 2.5 mV/Φ0 and hence the device has a higher gain than that of the tunneling‐type device with a resistive shunt. The energy resolution is as small as 40 h. When the fabricated SQUID was installed in an FLL circuit and the dynamic range was measured, it is found that an output is proportional to the input for the input magnetic flux of ±32Φ0 without removing the lock. The magnetic flux resolution of the FLL circuit used is 9 × 10−10 Φ02/Hz in the white noise region (at 3 kHz). In the low‐frequency region less than 100 Hz, the 1/f noise described by 5.8 × 10−8 (1/f)Φ02/Hz was observed. This value of the magnetic flux resolution is large by one order of magnitude than that inherent to the device and the noise of the electronics is predominant.
The authors have designed, fabricated and tested all-refractory DC SQUIDs in Nb-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/-Nb trilayer technology that have noise performance comparable to the best previously reported for any technology. A variety of SQUID designs were incorporated as part of a trilayer process development test vehicle. SQUID inductance, junction area, and resistive shunt geometry were varied in matrix fashion to give SQUIDs with near-optimum parameter values for a factor of five range in Josephson current density and shunt sheet resistance. The devices were fabricated using a selective niobium anodization with a minimum feature size of 2 mu m. The base electrode and Nb wiring were patterned with dry etching, and the junction areas were defined by anodization: the Ti resistors were patterned with a lift-off process. Current density on different wafers was varied from 400 to 1000 A/cm/sup 2/ with typical junction V/sub m/'s of 60 mV. The shunt sheet resistance was varied in the 1-5- Omega / Square Operator range. The noise was measured with an RF SQUID direct small-signal readout scheme. A 50-pH SQUID with 3- mu m/sup 2/, 16- mu A junctions and 14- Omega shunt resistors was shown to have an ideally low white noise of 1*10/sup -13/ Phi /sub 0//sup 2//Hz, a white to 1/f crossover frequency at 7 Hz, and a noise level less than 6*10/sup -12/ Phi /sub 0//sup 2//Hz at 0.1 Hz.
Electron-beam lithography has been used to produce ultra low noise Nb dc SQUIDs (Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices) with Josephson elements consisting of either small area tunnel junctions or very narrow variable thickness bridges (nanobridges). Detailed voltage noise and transfer function measurements have been made as a function of temperature and flux and current bias. These measurements allow a computation of the intrinsic energy resolution ε vs bias parameters as well as comparison with models of intrinsic SQUID noise. The best ε obtained was of order Planck's constant h. Moreover, the detailed characteristics of the SQUID voltage noise are in agreement with a small signal analysis that depends only on the current noise in each of the Josephson elements and measurable parameters.
We have fabricated Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x step-edge junction dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and characterized their noise performance. The current-voltage characteristics of our SQUIDs are of resistively shunted junction type with critical current densities jc of about 104 A/cm2 and maximum flux to voltage transfer functions δV/δΦ of 20 μV/Φ0 at 77 K. We compare model predictions for 1/f noise in dc SQUIDs with experimental data and show that the frequency dependent noise in our devices results from critical current fluctuations of the Josephson junctions. A bias current reversing technique is effective in suppressing this noise contribution. A flux noise Φn of 80 μΦ0/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz and 77 K was measured on a dc SQUID with an inductance Ls of 60 pH.
Focused ion-beam (FIB) technology has been used to fabricate miniature Nb DC SQUIDs (superconducting quantum interference devices) which incorporate resistively shunted microbridge junctions and a central loop with a hole diameter ranging from 1058 to 50 nm. The smallest device, with a 50 nm hole diameter, has a white flux noise level of 2.6 µΦ 0 Hz −1/2 at 10 4 Hz. The scaling of the flux noise properties and focusing effect of the SQUID with the hole size were examined. The observed low frequency flux noises of different devices were compared with the contribution due to the spin fluctuation of defects introduced during FIB processing and of thermally activated flux hopping in the SQUID washer.
We report on the low-frequency noise performance of niobium dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs), which contain nanobridges fabricated by focused ion beam lithography as the active Josephson elements. The devices have feature sizes down to 70 nm. We have measured devices of different loop sizes in two readout configurations: nano-scale loop sizes in small signal mode using a series SQUID array as a low-temperature pre-amplifier, and larger micron-scale loop sizes in a conventional flux-locked loop. We investigate the different contributions to the low frequency noise and report on electrical measurements made in applied magnetic fields of up to 0.5 T (in-plane) and 0.1 T (perpendicular to the plane) at operating temperatures around 7 K. We compare the measurements with the existing theories of noise in a dc SQUID.