Browsing by Author "Lomparski, D."

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Open Access
Front-end assembly optimization for high-Tcrf-SQUID based magnetic field imaging systems
(2006) Akram, R.; Fardmanesh, M.; Schubert J.; Zander W.; Banzet, M.; Lomparski, D.; Schmidt, M.; Krause H.-J.
We have investigated the rf-SQUID and its coupling to the tank circuit configurations to achieve an optimal front-end assembly for sensitive and high spatial resolution magnetic imaging systems. The investigation on the YBCO rf-SQUID coupling to the conventional LC tank circuits revealed that the coupling from the back of the SQUID substrate enhances the SQUID signal while facilitating the front-end assembly configuration. The optimal thickness of the substrate material between the SQUID and the tank circuit is 0.4mm for LaAlO3 resulting in an increase of SQUID flux-voltage transfer function signal, Vspp, of 1.5 times, and 0.5 mm for SrTiO3 with an increase of Vspp of 1.62 times compared to that of direct face to face couplings. For the rf-coupling with co-planar resonator, CPR, it has been found that the best configuration, in which a resonator is sandwiched between the SQUID substrate and resonator substrate, provides a Vspp about 3.4 times higher than the worse case where the resonator and the SQUID are coupled back to back. It has also been observed that the noise level does not depend considerably on whether a conventional LC tank circuit or a CPR is used. Though the use of resonator leads to a limitation of the achievable spatial resolution due to its flux-focusing characteristics. This resulted in favouring the use of the conventional tank circuits when considering the desired high spatial resolution. Effect of the YBCO flip-chip magnetic shielding of the SQUIDs in the back coupling with the LC-tank circuit configuration has also been investigated, in order to reduce the SQUID effective area to increase the spatial resolution and also to study the effect of the coupling of various types of the transformers to the SQUIDs. It is revealed that there is no considerable change in the flux-voltage transfer function signal level with respect to the effective shield area, while the lowest working temperature of the SQUIDs was slightly shifted higher by a couple of degrees depending on the shield area. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Open Access
Junction characteristics and magnetic field dependencies of low noise step edge junction Rf-SQUIDs for unshielded applications
(IEEE, 2003-06) Fardmanesh, Mehdi; Schubert, J.; Akram, Rizwan; Bozbey, Ali; Bick, M.; Banzet, M.; Lomparski, D.; Zander, W.; Zhang, Y.; Krause, H-J.
Step edge grain boundary (GB) junctions and rf-SQUIDs have been made using pulsed laser deposited Y-Ba-Cu-O films on crystalline LaAlO3 substrates. The steps were developed using various ion-beam etching processes resulting in sharp and ramp type step structures. Sharp step based GB junctions showed behavior of serial junctions with resistively shunted junction (RSJ)-like I-V characteristics. The ramped type step structures resulted in relatively high critical current, Ic, junctions and noisy SQUIDs. The sharp steps resulted in low noise rf-SQUIDs with a noise level below 140 fT/Hz12/ down to few Hz at 77 K while measured with conventional tank circuits. The Ic of the junctions and hence the operating temperature range of the SQUIDs made using sharp steps was controlled by both the step height and the junction widths. The junction properties of the SQUIDs were also characterized showing RSJ-like characteristics and magnetic field sensitivities correlated to that of the SQUIDs. Two major low and high background magnetic field sensitivities have been observed for our step edge junctions and the SQUIDs made on sharp steps. High quality step edge junctions with low magnetic field sensitivities made on clean sharp steps resulted in low 1/f noise rf-SQUIDs proper for applications in unshielded environment.
Open Access
The set-up of a high temperature superconductor radio-frequency SQUID microscope for magnetic nanoparticle detection
(Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd., 2006) Schmidt, M.; Krause, H.-J.; Banzet, M.; Lomparski, D.; Schubert, J.; Zander, W.; Zhang, Y.; Akram, R.; Fardmanesh, M.
SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) microscopes are versatile instruments for biosensing applications, in particular for magnetic nanoparticle detection in immunoassay experiments. We are developing a SQUID microscope based on an HTS rf SQUID magnetometer sensor with a substrate resonator. For the cryogenic set-up, a configuration was realized in which the cryostat is continuously refilled and kept at a constant liquid nitrogen level by an isolated tube connection to a large liquid nitrogen reservoir. The SQUID is mounted on top of a sapphire finger, connected to the inner vessel of the stainless steel cryostat. The vacuum gap between the cold SQUID and room temperature sample is adjusted by the precise approach of a 50 νm thin sapphire window using a single fine thread wheel. We investigated possible sensing tip configurations and different sensor integration techniques in order to achieve an optimized design. A new scheme of coupling the rf SQUID from its back to a SrTiO3 substrate resonator was adopted for the purpose of minimization of the sensor-to-sample spacing. By SQUID substrate thinning and washer size reduction, the optimum coupling conditions for back coupling were determined for different rf SQUID magnetometers prepared on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates. The SQUID microscope system is characterized with respect to its spatial resolution and its magnetic field noise. The SQUID microscope instrument will be used for magnetic nanoparticle marker detection.
Open Access
Signal enhancement techniques for rf SQUID based magnetic imaging systems
(Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd., 2006) Akram, R.; Fardmanesh, M.; Schubert, J.; Zander W.; Banzet, M.; Lomparski, D.; Schmidt, M.; Krause, H.-J.
We have investigated the rf SQUID (radio-frequency superconducting quantum interference device) and its coupling to tank circuit configurations to achieve an optimal front-end assembly for sensitive and high spatial resolution magnetic imaging systems. The investigation of the YBCO rf SQUID coupling to the conventional LC tank circuits revealed that coupling from the back of the SQUID substrate enhances the SQUID signal while facilitating the front-end assembly configuration. The optimal thickness of the substrate material between the SQUID and the tank circuit is 0.4 mm for LaAlO3 resulting in an increase of the SQUID flux-voltage transfer function signal, Vspp, of 1.5 times, and 0.5 mm for SrTiO3 with an increase of V spp of 1.62 times compared to that for direct face to face couplings. For rf coupling with a coplanar resonator, it has been found that the best configuration, in which a resonator is sandwiched between the SQUID substrate and the resonator substrate, provides a Vspp about 3.4 times higher than that for the worse case where the resonator and the SQUID are coupled back to back. The use of a resonator leads to a limitation of the achievable spatial resolution due to its flux focusing characteristics. This resulted in a favouring of the use of the conventional tank circuits when considering the desired high spatial resolution. The effect of the YBCO flip chip magnetic shielding of the SQUIDs in the back-coupling with the LC tank circuit configuration has also been investigated, with a view to reducing the SQUID effective area to increase the spatial resolution and also for studying the effect of the coupling of various kinds of transformers to the SQUIDs. It is revealed that there is no very considerable change in the flux-voltage transfer function signal level with respect to the effective shield area, while the lowest working temperature of the SQUIDs was slightly shifted higher by a couple of degrees, depending on the shield area.