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Journal of Applied Physics

Current amplification with asymmetric direct current superconducting quantum interference devices at 77 K

R. Kleiner, D. Koelle, Frank Ludwig, E. Dantsker, A. H. Miklich, John L. Clarke

Published Jan 15, 1996• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

One can use a direct current (dc) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) as a current amplifier by injecting a signal current Is into part of the superconducting loop and detecting the resultant change in critical current Ic. The current gain max ‖dIc/dIs‖ can be increased by making the inductances of the two arms of the SQUID asymmetric, thereby skewing the transfer function Ic vs Is. Detailed simulations of the device performance include an analysis of the impact of inductance and junction asymmetry on the transfer function. At 77 K a maximum current gain of 5 should be achievable albeit for frequencies below 1 GHz. An increase in the operating speed to 2 GHz can be achieved by reducing the gain to 2. We have fabricated asymmetric YBa2Cu3O7−x dc SQUIDs on SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates and operated them at 77 K. Using a second, readout SQUID to monitor changes in the critical current, we have achieved a low-frequency current gain up to 2.3. By coupling two SQUIDs together, we have increased the gain to 8.5.

DOI
10.1063/1.360911

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One can use a direct current (dc) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) as a current amplifier by injecting a signal current Is into part of the superconducting loop and detecting the resultant change in critical current Ic. The current gain max ‖dIc/dIs‖ can be increased by making the inductances of the two arms of the SQUID asymmetric, thereby skewing the transfer function Ic vs Is. Detailed simulations of the device performance include an analysis of the impact of inductance and junction asymmetry on the transfer function. At 77 K a maximum current gain of 5 should be achievable albeit for frequencies below 1 GHz. An increase in the operating speed to 2 GHz can be achieved by reducing the gain to 2. We have fabricated asymmetric YBa2Cu3O7−x dc SQUIDs on SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates and operated them at 77 K. Using a second, readout SQUID to monitor changes in the critical current, we have achieved a low-frequency current gain up to 2.3. By coupling two SQUIDs together, we have increased the gain to 8.5.
We have fabricated asymmetric, two-junction YBa2Cu3O7−x dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) on SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates and used them as three-terminal amplifiers by injecting signal currents directly into part of the superconducting loop. Using a second, readout SQUID to monitor changes in the critical current, we have achieved current gains up to 2.3 at 77 K. By coupling two SQUIDs together, we have increased the gain to 8.5 at 77 K. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations, which are used to discuss potential increases in the gain.
We present measurements of an amplifier based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with submicron Al–AlOx–Al Josephson junctions. The small junction size reduces their self-capacitance and allows for the use of relatively large resistive shunts while maintaining nonhysteretic operation. This leads to an enhancement of the SQUID transfer function compared to SQUIDs with micron-scale junctions. The device layout is modified from that of a conventional SQUID to allow for coupling signals into the amplifier with a substantial mutual inductance for a relatively short microstrip coil. Measurements at 310 mK exhibit gain of 32 dB at 1.55 GHz.
We present measurements of an amplifier based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with submicron Al-AlOx-Al Josephson junctions. The small junction size reduces their self-capacitance and allows for the use of relatively large resistive shunts while maintaining nonhysteretic operation. This leads to an enhancement of the SQUID transfer function compared to SQUIDs with micron-scale junctions. The device layout is modified from that of a conventional SQUID to allow for coupling signals into the amplifier with a substantial mutual inductance for a relatively short microstrip coil. Measurements at 310 mK exhibit gain of 32 dB at 1.55 GHz.
Arrays of dc-superconducting quantum interference devices (dc-SQUIDs) were investigated, in which each dc-SQUID element has a multiturn input coil. The dependence of flux noise on the number of turns of the input coil was studied for current amplifiers. SQUID arrays were fabricated by a Nb/AlO x /Nb Josephson tunnel junction fabrication process. Results show that the flux noise of the SQUID array amplifier does not depend on the turn number of the input coil. A SQUID array amplifier consisting of 128 dc-SQUID elements was fabricated, in which each element had a 7-turn input coil and a mutual inductance between the input coil and the SQUID loop of 460 pH. This amplifier showed an ultrahigh current resolution of 1 pA/Hz0.5 and a maximum input current of 11 µA for signals of 50 kHz, which is sufficient bandwidth for X-ray detection applications. These values correspond to a large dynamic range of 87 dB. The flux-voltage characteristics of this SQUID array, however, showed asymmetric behavior, which originated from electronic resonance in stray capacitance and the mutual inductance between the SQUID loop and the multiturn input coil.
It has long been recognized that a control current Ia injected into the section of a two- junction superconducting quantum interference device is able to produce a change of its critical current Ic, so that a current gain g = |dIc/dIa| can be identified. We investigate the circumstances under which large gains can be achieved by using vertical Josephson interferometers, which are characterized by small loop inductances. We discuss the theory of operation of such a device, its performances, and its advantages with respect to planar interferometers used in the previous works. Two potential applications are addressed.
We describe the performance of amplifiers in the 4–8 GHz range using direct current (dc) superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) in a lumped element configuration. We have used external impedance transformers to couple power into and out of the dc SQUIDs. By choosing appropriate values for coupling capacitors, resonator lengths and output component values, we have demonstrated useful gains in several frequency ranges with different bandwidths, showing over 27 GHz of power gain-bandwidth product. In this work, we describe our design for the 4–8 GHz range and present data demonstrating gain, bandwidth, dynamic range, and drift characteristics.