By VISHAL MISHRA M.TECH (I Year) S.S.E.M.

10550015

Talk Outlines
Introduction Operating principle Types

Main components of squid magnetometer

Working

Applications

The Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) is an extremely sensitive magnetic field detector . Based on this sensitive device the so called SQUID magnetometers have been developed SQUID magnetometers are used to characterize materials when the highest detection sensitivity over a broad temperature range and using applied magnetic fields up to several Tesla is needed.

It Can detect fields on the order of 10-15 T Earths magnetic field: 10-4 T Hearts magnetic field: 10-11 T Brains magnetic field: 10-15 T The system is designed to measure the magnetic moment of a sample, from which the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility can be obtained Invented in 1964 by Robert Jaklevic, John Lambe, Arnold Silver, and James Mercereau of Ford Research Labs.

Magnetic Signal Levels

Operating principle
The measurement of the flux change through a pick-up coil system with a SQUID. This signal is proportional to magnetic moment of a sample which is magnetized by the magnetic field produced by a superconducting magnet

Operating principle
Flux quantization

Josephson effect

Flux quantization
Magnetic flux contained in the superconducting loop is

quantized in units of flux quantum. Consider a loop of material that becomes a superconductor (Type I for simplicity) when the temperature is sufficiently reduced. If initially in a magnetic field, the flux is expelled from the material, but will still be present in the hole at the center of the loop. When the external field is removed, the flux inside the loop is trapped and maintained by the presence of a current circulating around the inner surface. Experimental results have conformed that, as for electron waves in an atomic orbit, their interference, which is strictly a quantum phenomenon, can be observed in a superconducting ring with a circumference of several meters. The inner circumference of the ring needs only be an integral number of wavelengths of the Cooper pairs

Josephson Junction
A Josephson junction is a type of

electronic circuit capable of switching at very high speeds when operated at temperatures approaching absolute zero. It is an superconductor-insulatorsuperconductor (SIS) layer structure placed between two electrodes .

Response of a SQUID to a magnetic field:

When a weak magnetic field is turned on in the vicinity of the

structure, no magnetic field can enter in the middle of the ring. If the magnetic field strength is increased, so that the circulating current exceeds the critical current of the junction, the junction becomes normal allowing some of the magnetic flux to enter the loop. As a quantum of magnetic flux enters the ring, the circulating current decreases in magnitude and the junction becomes superconducting again, and so on. By monitoring the current owing in the loop it is possible to detect changes in flux of less than one flux quantum, allowing the measurement of exceedingly weak magnetic fields

Types of Squid
DC Squid AC/ RF Squid

Operation DC SQUID
Current made to flow around the loop through both Josephson junctions. Electrons tunnel through the junctions, interfere. Magnetic field through the loop causes a phase difference between electrons, affects current through the loop.

Operation DC SQUID
Flux (magnetic field) through the loop induces a current around the loop. This affects the current flowing through the loop, because the net current through each junction is no longer the same. Resulting potential difference across the loop can be measured.

Operation RF SQUID
Also called AC SQUID Only one Josephson junction. Radio frequency oscillating current Measure interactions between the superconducting ring and an external resonant LC circuit. They are cheaper to produce, but are not as sensitive as DC squid

SQUID Magnetometer
Flux-Response

SC

SC wire; 2nd order Gradiometer coil

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RF und DC SQUID Electronics

Flux Locked Mode:

Additional to the external flux, Flux with opposite sign is coupled via the modulation Coil into the SQUID that the total flux is kept constant The deviation is measured with a PSD amplified with an Integrator coupled back to the system

Commercial SQUID Magnetometer.

Main Components of squid magnetometer

superconducting magnet (that must be acquired

together its programmable bipolar power supply) superconducting detection coil which is coupled inductively to the sample a SQUID connected to the detection coil. superconducting magnetic shield.

Superconducting magnet.
A superconducting magnets is a solenoid made of

superconducting wire. This solenoid must be kept at liquid helium temperature in a liquid-helium dewar The uniform magnetic field is produced along the axial cylindrical bore of the coil. Currently, superconducting solenoids that produce magnetic fields in the range 5-18 Tesla are commercially available. To operate a superconducting magnet requires an appropriate programmable bipolar power supply.

Superconducting detection coil

This is a single piece of superconducting wire

configured as a second-order gradiometer . In this geometry pick-up coil system is placed in the uniform magnetic field region of the solenoidal superconducting magnet

SQUID
High sensitivity is possible because this device responds

to a fraction of the flux quantum. The SQUID device is usually a thin film that functions as a extremely sensitive current-to-voltage-converter. A measurement is done in this equipment by moving the sample through the second-order gradiometer. Hence, the magnetic moment of the sample induces an electric current in the pick-up coil system. A change in the of magnetic flux in these coils changes the persistent current in the detection circuit. So, the change in the current in the detection coils produce variation in the SQUID output voltage proportional the magnetic moment of sample

Superconducting magnetic shield

It is used to shield the SQUID sensor from the fluctuations of the ambient magnetic field of the place where the magnetometer is located and from the large magnetic field produced by the superconducting magnet.

Applications
Measurement of the real and imaginary

components of the AC magnetic susceptibility as a function of frequency, temperature, AC magnetic field amplitude and DC magnetic field value. The DC magnetic moment as a function of temperature, DC magnetic field, and time. Using a specially designed sample holder the magnetic moment as a function of angle can be also measured.

Applications
High sensitivity is needed when samples with

low intrinsic magnetic moment or low mass are measured. In thin films, for instance, the mass may be smaller than 1 microgram. These materials are therefore difficult to characterize using a extraction or vibrating sample magnetometer but not with a SQUID magnetometer. Also for measurements of magnetic viscosity in permanent magnets, where small changes of magnetization as a function of time must be recorded, a SQUID magnetometers is the best choice.

Conclusion
SQUIDs are likely to be used increasingly in the future as they become cheaper and more versatile due to the development of high-temperature superconductors and better cooling systems.

References
Principles and Applications of SQUIDs JOHN

CLARKE PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, VOL. 77, NO. 8, AUGUST 1989 Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Jean Frederic Isingizwe Nturambirwe African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)

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