• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.78-82
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• 2009

We have fabricated a helmet type magnetoencephalogrphy(MEG) with a $1^{st}$ order gradiometer in vacuum to improve the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) and the boil-off rate of liquid helium(LHe). The axial type first-order gradiometer was fabricated with a double relaxation oscillation SQUID(DROS) sensor which was directly connected with a pickup coil. The neck space of LHe dewar was made to be smaller than that of a conventional dewar, but the LHe boil-off ratio appeared to increase. To reduce the temperature of low Tc SQUID sensor and pickup coil to 9 K, a metal shield made of, such as copper, brass or aluminum, have been usually used for thermal transmission. But the metal shield exhibited high thermal noise and eddy current fluctuation. We quantified the thermal noise and the eddy current fluctuation of metal. In this experiment, we used the bobbin which was made of an alumina to wind Nb superconductive wire for pickup coil and the average noise of coil-in-vacuum type MEG system was $3.5fT/Hz^{1/2}$. Finally, we measured the auditory evoked signal to prove the reliability of coil-in-vacuum type MEG system.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2005

We have studied feasibility of single-layer second-order $high-T_c$ SQUID gradiometers in magnetocardiography. We have measured human cardiomagnetic signals using a short-baseline (5.8 mm) single-layer second-order YBCO gradiometer in partially shielded environments. The gradiometer has an overall size of $17.6\;mm{\times}6\;mm$ and contains three parallel-connected pickup coils which are directly coupled to a step-edge junction SQUID. The gradiometer showed an unshielded gradient noise of $0.84\;pT/cm^2/Hz^{1/2}$ at 1 Hz, which corresponds to an equivalent field noise of $280\;fT/Hz^{1/2}$. The balancing factor was $10^3$. Based on the same design rules as the short-baseline devices, we have studied fabrication of 30 mm-long baseline gradiometers. The devices had an overall size of $70.2\;mm{\times}10.6\;mm$ with each pickup coil of $10\;mm{\times}10\;mm$ in outer size. As Josephson elements we made two types of submicron bridges, which are variable thickness bridge (VTB) and constant thickness bridge (CTB), from $3\;{\mu}m-wide$ and 300 nm-thick YBCO lines with a thin layer of Au on top by using a focused ion beam (FIB) patterning method. VTB was 300 nm wide, 200 nm thick, 30 nm long with Au removed and CTB 100 nm wide and 30 nm long. In temperature-dependent critical currents, $I_c(T)$, VTB showed an nonmetallic barrier-type behavior and CTB an SNS behavior. We believe that those characteristics are ascribed to naturally formed grain boundaries crossing the bridges.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2011

Measurement of magnetic signals generated from electric activity of myocardium provides useful information for the functional diagnosis of heart diseases. Key technical component of the magnetocardiography (MCG) technology is SQUID. To measure MCG signals with high signal-to-noise ratio, sensitive SQUID magnetic field sensors are needed. Present magnetic field sensors based on Nb SQUIDs have field sensitivity good enough to measure most of MCG signals. However, for accurate measurement of fine signal pattern or detection of local atrial fibrillation signals, we may need higher field sensitivity. In addition to field sensitivity, economic aspect of the SQUID system is also important. To simplify the SQUID readout electronics, the output voltage or flux-to-voltage transfer of SQUID should be large enough so that direct measurement of SQUID output can be done using room-temperature preamplifiers. Double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS), having about 10 times larger flux-to-voltage transfers than those of DC-SQUIDs, was shown to be a good choice to make the electronics compact. For effective cancellation of external noise inside a thin economic shielded room, first-order axial gradiometer with high balance, simple structure and long-baseline is needed. We developed a technology to make the axial gradiometer compact using direct bonding of superconductive wires between pickup coil and input coil. Conventional insert has mechanical support to hold the gradiometer array, and the dewar neck has equal diameter with the dewar bottom. Boiling of the liquid He can generate mechanical vibrations in the gradiometer array due to mechanical connection structure. Elimination of the mechanical support, and direct mounting of the gradiometer array into the dewar bottom can reduce the dewar neck diameter, resulting in the reduction of liquid He consumption.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.9
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• pp.161-164
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• 1999

We have fabricated the direct-coupled planar type 1st-order SQUID gradiometers. The gradiometer consists of moats or slots in SQUID loop. It is made by YBa$_2Cu_3O_7$ thin films using pulsed laser deposition method on SrTiO$_3$ single crystal and bi-crystal substrates. We have studied the effects of slots and moats in SQUID loop by measuring the voltage modulation signals under uniform field and 1st-order gradient, and the noise properties under non-shielded environment.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.159-162
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• 2002

We have detected cracks inside multi-layer metal sheets with nondestructive evaluation system consisting of SQUID gradiometer. Double D-shape coil was carefully designed with computer simulation for spatial distribution of magnetic field. It was aligned and placed in between SQUID and metal sheets in order to reduce the field effect to SQUID and to maximize eddy current in the sheets. The metal plate in bottom of the metal stack contained artificial cracks which were scanned by an X-Y scanning system. The information of crack position and size could be estimated by analysis of SQUID signal. Details of the results will be discussed .

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 2002

We have fabricated YBCO SQUID 1st order gradiometers on $30^{\circ}$STO bicrystal substrate. The pickup coil size was 3.8mm$\times$3.8mm and baseline was 5mm. Three types of SQUID gradiometer were designed and tested for unshielded operation; solid pickup coil, pickup coil consisting of 4 parallel $ 50\mu\textrm{m}$-wide loops, and solid pickup coil with flux dam. We have investigated external magnetic field dependence of the SQUID gradiometers on the magnetic field noiseproperties. Significant increase of low frequency noise with the application of static field has been observed in the case of parallel and flux dam type pickup coil above threshold field of $1.3 \mu$T. Magnetic field noise at 1 Hz measured in the magnetically shielding room was 30, 165, 480 fTcm／sup -1／Hz／sup -1/2／ for solid type and slot type and parallel loops type, respectively.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2007

In order to have a superconductive connection between the wire-wound pickup coil and input coil, typically Nb terminal blocks with screw holes are used. Since this connection structure occupies large volume, large stray pickup area can be generated which can pickup external noise fields. Thus, SQUID and connection block are shielded inside a superconducting tube, and this SQUID module is located at some distance from the distal coil of the gradiometer to minimize the distortion or imbalance of uniform background field due to the superconducting module. To operate this conventional SQUID module, we need a higher liquid He level, resulting in shorter refill interval. To make the fabrication of gradiometers simpler and refill interval longer, we developed a novel method of connecting the pickup coil into the input coil. Gradiometer coil wound of 0.125-mm diameter NbTi wires were glued close to the input coil pads of SQUID. The superconductive connection was made using an ultrasonic bonding of annealed 0.025-mm diameter Nb wires, bonded directly on the surface of NbTi wires where insulation layer was stripped out. The reliability of the superconductive bonding was good enough to sustain several thermal cycling. The stray pickup area due to this connection structure is about $0.1\;mm^2$, much smaller than the typical stray pickup area using the conventional screw block method. By using this compact connection structure, the position of the SQUID sensor is only about 20-30 mm from the distal coil of the gradiometer. Based on this compact module, we fabricated a magnetocardiography system having 61 first-order axial gradiometers, and measured MCG signals. The gradiometers have a coil diameter of 20 mm, and the baseline is 70 mm. The 61 axial gradiometer bobbins were distributed in a hexagonal lattice structure with a sensor interval of 26 mm, measuring $dB_z/dz$ component of magnetocardiography signals.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.59-59
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• 2007

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.58-58
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• 2007

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.61-61
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• 2007