Annalen der Physik
Nonlinear dynamics in a high‐gain amplifier: the dc SQUID
Adi R. Bulsara, Kurt A. Wiesenfeld, Mario E. Inchiosa
Abstract
Abstract We study the detection of very weak time‐periodic magnetic signals via a double‐junction (dc) Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). The device, represented by two coupled nonlinear differential equations for the quantum mechanical junction phase differences, admits long‐time static or oscillatory solutions, the transition between them being easily controlled by experimentally accessible parameters. Gain is maximal when the device is tuned to the onset of the oscillatory solutions; i.e., when the minima in the 2D potential function disappear. We concentrate on the SQUID dynamics near this critical point and compute the oscillation frequency via a center manifold reduction of the full 2D dynamics. Knowing this frequency permits its exploitation as a detection/classification tool in magnetic remote sensing applications.