Superconducting-Quantum-Interference-Device Array Magnetometers With Directly Coupled Pickup Loop And Serial Flux Dams

In this work, we studied the engineering of high-transition-temperature superconductor Josephson junctions and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) by using step-edge or the bicrystal grain-boundary technologies. Serial Josephson junctions and bare SQUID array reveal high quality device characteristics. A high-T-c SQUID magnetometer exhibiting magnetic field sensitivity of 33 fT/Hz(1/2) in the white regime and 80 fT/Hz(1/2) at 1 Hz was demonstrated by incorporating the flux dams and serial SQUID into the pickup loop of magnetometer. Furthermore, we demonstrate the opening of the flux dams by applying an external magnetic field to induce a current higher than the critical current of the serial flux dams. We show that the serial flux dams effectively suppress the low frequency 1/f-like noises. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.