• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2003

We have developed a planar-type single layer second-order $high-T_{c}$ SQUID gradiometer, which can detect the $d^2$$B_{z/}$dxdy of the second-order field gradient. This SQUID gradiometer consists of four-way 'clover-leaf' pick-up loops and is coupled directly to a 4-junction dc SQUID in such a way that the coupling polarity of the two diagonal loops is opposite to that of the other two loops. The pickup loops are intrinsically balanced for both uniform field and the 1 st-order field gradient. The $YBa_2$$Cu_3$$O_{7}$ thin film was made by pulsed laser deposition method on $SrTiO_3$ single crystal substrate and patterned by photolithography with Ar ion milling technique. Response of this gradiometer was tested for both uniform field and the 2nd-order field gradient. Details of the design, fabrication, and results will be discussed.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.15
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• pp.10-10
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• 2005

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.10
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• pp.184-188
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• 2000

We have fabricated directly-coupled single-layer second-order high-Tc SQUID gradiometer. The gradiometer consisted of 3 parallel-connected square pickup loops, and each loop was directly coupled to SQUID. YBCO thin film was deposited by pulsed laser deposition and patterned by photolithography with ion milling technique. Optimum balancing condition was achieved by varying the outer diameter of the center loop. We have investigated nearly zero response of the SQUID to uniform and 1 st-order field gradient.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.163-167
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• 2002

We have fabricated planar-type single-layer second-order high-Tc SQUID gradiometers. The devices consisted of symmetrically designed three parallel-connected square pickup loops that were directly coupled to the SQUID. $YBa_2$$Cu_3$$O_{7}$ film was deposited on $SrTiO_3$ substrate by a PLD system and patterned into a device by the photolithography with ion milling technique. Junctions of the SQUID were either step-edge or bicrystal type. All the structures were formed on a 10 mm $\times$ 5 mm substrate. Balancing of the gradiometer was achieved by adjusting the width of the central pickup loop. The gradiometer noise was measured both inside and outside a magnetically shielded room. Details of the results will be discussed.

• 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.

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.12
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• pp.32-32
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• 2002

• 한국초전도학회:학술대회논문집
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• v.15
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• pp.55-55
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• 2005

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

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2006

We have developed a second-order double relaxation oscillation SQUID(DROS) gradiometer with a baseline of 35 mm, and constructed a poorly magnetically-shielded room(MSR) with an aluminum layer and permalloy layers for magnetocardiography(MCG). The 2nd-order DROS gradiometer has a noise level of 20 $fT/{\surd}Hz$ at 1 Hz and 8 $fT/{\surd}Hz$ at 200 Hz inside the heavily-shielded MSR with a shielding factor of $10^3$ at 1 Hz and $10^4-10^5$ at 100 Hz. The poorly-shielded MSR, built of a 12-mm-thick aluminum layer and 4-6 permalloy layers of 0.35 mm thickness, is 2.4mx2.4mx2.4m in size, and has a shielding factor of 40 at 1 Hz, $10^4$ at 100 Hz. Our 64-channel second-order gradiometer MCG system consists of 64 2nd-order DROS gradiometers, flux-locked loop electronics, and analog signal processors. With the 2nd-order DROS gradiometers and flux-locked loop electronics installed inside the poorly-shielded MSR, and with the analog signal processor installed outside it, the noise level was measured to be 20 $fT/{\surd}Hz$ at 1 Hz and 8 $fT/{\surd}Hz$ at 200 Hz on the average even though the MSR door is open. This result leads to a low noise level, low enough to obtain a human MCG at the same level as that measured in the heavily-shielded MSR. However, filters or active shielding is needed fur clear MCG when there is large low-frequency noise from heavy air conditioning or large ac power consumption near the poorly-shielded MSR.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2007

We investigated signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of magnetocardiography (MCG) signals using the first-order and the second-order gradiometers of different baselines. The MCG signals were recorded using a measurement system with 61 magnetometers which measured the normal magnetic component to the chest surface. The distance between the chest surface and the bottom of the dewar was changed from 0 cm to 15 cm, and the MCGs were measured for each distance. By subtracting the other signals (distance = 1 to 15 cm) from the reference signal (distance =0 cm), we could simulate the first-order and the second-order gradiometer signals with various baselines. In addition, to evaluate the reproducibility of the simulation, we fabricated the wire wound first-order and second-order gradiometers which measured a normal magnetic component to the chest surface. The baselines of the first-order gradiometers were, respectively, 50 mm, 70 mm and 100 mm and the baseline of the second-order gradiometer was 50 mm. Using these gradiometers, we recorded the MCG signal and compared the SNR between the simulation and the measurement.