A semispherical SQUID magnetometer system using high sensitivity double relaxation oscillation SQUIDs for magnetoencephalographic measurements

We designed and constructed a multichannel superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer system to measure magnetic fields from the human brain. We used a new type of SQUID, the double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). With high flux-to-voltage transfers of the DROS, about 10 times larger than the dc SQUIDs, simple flux-locked loop circuits could be used for SQUID operation. Also the large modulation voltage of the DROS, typically being 100 $mutextrm{V}$, enabled stable flux-locked loop operation against the thermal offset voltage drift of the preamplifier. The magnetometers were fabricated using the Nb/AlOx/Nb junction technology. The SQUID system consists of 37 signal magnetometers, distributed on a semispherical surface, and 11 reference channels were installed to pickup background noises. External feedback was used to eliminate the magnetic coupling with the adjacent channels. The liquid helium dewar has a capacity of 29 L and boil-off rate of about 4 L/d with the total 48 channel insert. The magnetometer system has an average noise level of 3 fT/√Hz at 100 Hz, inside a shielded loon, and was applied to measure auditory-evoked fields.