Superconducting Quantum Interference Device(SQUID) Magnetometer

SMES 2206 Electricity & Magnetism Ketua Kumpulan: Yeow Jia Jun Ahli Kumpulan: Tay Szi Yiing Ong Yern Yee Mohamad Zarin Nama Pensyarah: Dr. Chiu Wee Siong

SQUID Magnetometer

Schematic Diagram

10. Dewar Isolation cabinet 11. Dewar 12. Printer 13. Magnetic power supply 14. Temp. controller 15. Console Cabinet 16. Power distribution unit 17. MPMS controller 18. Gas/Magnet control unit 19. Computer 20. Monitor *MPMS Magnetic Property Measurement System

Whats inside the Dewar

Superconductivity
It is a phenomenon of exactly zero electrical resistance and exclude magnetic fields exactly, occurring in certain materials when cooled below a certain temperature known Heike Kamerlingh Onnes as critical temperature, Tc.
A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor, cooled withliquid nitrogen. Persistent electric current flows on the surface of the superconductor, acting to exclude the magnetic field of the magnet (Faraday's law of induction). This current effectively forms an electromagnet that repels the magnet.

SQUID Magnetometer
There are 4 main components: 1. Superconducting Magnet 2. Superconducting Detection Coil 3. SQUID 4. Superconducting Magnetic Shield

Superconducting Magnet
A solenoid made of superconducting wire Must be kept at liquid Helium temperature Produce magnetic field in range of 5 18 Tesla

Superconducting Detection Coil

Single piece of superconducting wire configured as secondorder gradiometer This pick-up coil system is placed in the uniform magnetic field region of the sinusoidal superconducting magnet

SQUID
A thin film that functions as extremely sensitive current-to-voltage converter.

Superconducting Magnetic Shield

Shield the SQUID sensor from fluctuations of the ambient magnetic field of where magnetometer is located and from the large magnetic field produced by the superconducting magnet.

Materials
Superconducting materials for SQUID Traditionally, made of pure niobium or a lead alloy with 10% gold or indium. Pure lead is unstable when its temperature repeatedly change. To maintain superconductivity, the device is operated within a few degrees of absolute zero, cooled using liquid helium Now, made of high-temperature superconductors, YBCO (Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide) To maintain superconductivity, the device is cooled using liquid nitrogen, which is cheaper and easier to handled than liquid helium

Liquid nitrogen dewar

Electronic control box (two 9 V batteries are included)

Probe with the SQUID sensor

Output device or oscilloscope Electronic control box (two 9 V batteries are included)

Liquid nitrogen dewar

Probe with the SQUID sensor

How to use SQUID magnatometer?

Step1 : set up the apparatus.

Step 2: Add liquid nitrogen

-Fill the dewar about 3/4-full with liquid nitrogen. -Refill when necessary. Nitrogen will decrease due to evaporation.

Attention
DIRECT SKIN EXPOSURE TO LIQUID NITROGEN CAN CAUSE SEVERE BURNS.

Wear eye protection and gloves. Be careful when handling the nitrogen liquid

STEP 3: Cooling down the probe

-Lower the probe into the dewar. -Wait a few minutes so that the probe achieve stable temperature of 77K.

STEP 4: Connect the probe and the electronic control box with the cable

How SQUID converts magnetic flux into voltage? 1)A sample is put into the probe. 2)The magnetic field of the sample applies on the superconducting coil inside the probe. .

3)According to Lenzs law, an current is induced to oppose the change. 4)Induced current flow around the loop. 5)The supercurrent has its magnetic field that cancel out the applied magnetic field from the sample.

6)Supercurrent flow. There will be potential difference in the loop. 7)Therefore ,the magnetic properties of the sample is amplified into a measurable voltage.

Theory of the mechanism of SQUID

1. What is Josephson junction? 2. What is supercurrent? How it happen?

Josephson junction
superconductorinsulatorsuperconductor junction where an electric current (Cooper pairs) flows through quantum tunnelling. Cooper pairing is a quantum effect. An electron attracts positive (+ve) ions toward it, the +ve ions attract other electrons, and cause them to pair up. (not necessarily close together) The energy of the pairing interaction is quite weak (103eV), at low temperatures.

Quantum tunnelling
refers to the quantum mechanical phenomenon where a particle tunnels through a barrier that it classically could not pass through. Related with Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the waveparticle duality

Supercurrent
Wrong concept: T, R . normal conductor (copper) superconductor normal conductor, electric current = fluid of individual electrons moving & colliding with the ions in the lattice Superconductor, consists of bound pairs of electrons (Cooper pairs), not scattered by the lattice & flow without energy dissipation

Application Of SQUID

A SQUID (for superconducting quantum interference device) is a very sensitive magnetometer used to measure extremely subtle magnetic fields, based on superconducting loops containing Josephson Junction.

1. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) uses measurements from an array of SQUIDs to make inferences about neural activity inside brains Because SQUIDs can operate at acquisition rates much higher than the highest temporal frequency of interest in the signals emitted by the brain (kHz), MEG achieves good temporal resolution.

2. Magnetic Property Measurement Systems (MPMS)

These are turn-key systems, made by several manufacturers, that measure the magnetic properties of a material sample. This is typically done over a temperature range from that of 4 K to roughly 190 K, though higher temperatures mean less precision.

3. Scanning SQUID microscope uses a SQUID immersed in liquid helium as the probe. The use of SQUIDs in oil prospecting, mineral exploration, earthquakeprediction and geothermal energy surveying is becoming more widespread as superconductor technology develops. they are also used as precision movement sensors in a variety of scientific applications, such as the detection of gravitational waves