SBIR Phase II: Development of High-Tc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Magnetometers for Unshielded Operation

这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目旨在开发一种能够在非屏蔽环境中运行的超灵敏磁传感器技术。这些紧凑型传感器将基于超导量子干涉器件(SQUID)，该器件由高温(高温)超导材料制成。MagneSensors和加州大学伯克利分校的合作将采用新颖的设计和材料处理解决方案，以前所未有的灵敏度生产在环境场中运行的高TC SQUID。该计划将在实际应用中测试开发的传感器在低频和高频下的应用，以演示在存在大背景磁场干扰时的操作。这一新的使能技术寻求克服在灵敏度、带宽、尺寸和空间分辨率方面的限制，这些限制限制了目前传统磁场传感器的更广泛的应用。最终目标是开发一种低成本的便携式系统，其灵敏度比任何其他仪器都要高得多。这项技术将使全新一代仪器的开发成为可能，这种仪器将在广泛的应用中使用。这些应用包括对飞机裂缝和腐蚀的无损评估、集成电路的检查、均相免疫分析和使用磁性标签的DNA探针、地球物理测量、环境监测、未爆弹药的检测、肠道缺血的诊断和心律失常的筛查某些应用的潜在市场规模超过10亿美元。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is aimed at developing an ultra-sensitive magnetic sensor technology that is capable of operation in an unshielded environment. These compact sensors will be based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) that are fabricated from high temperature (high-Tc ) superconducting materials. A collaborative effort between MagneSensors and U.C. Berkeley will employ novel design and materials processing solutions to produce high-Tc SQUIDs operating in ambient fields with an unprecedented level of sensitivity. The program will test the developed sensors on real-world applications at both low and high frequencies to demonstrate operation in the presence of large background magnetic field interference. This new enabling technology seeks to overcome the limitations in sensitivity, bandwidth, size, and spatial resolution, which restrict the more widespread application of present conventional magnetic field sensors. The eventual goal is the development of a low-cost, portable system with much greater sensitivity than is available with any other instrumentation. This technology will enable the development of an entirely new generation of instrumentation that will find use in a wide variety of applications. Such applications include non-destructive evaluation of cracks and corrosion in aircraft, inspection of integrated circuits, homogeneous immunoassays and DNA probes using magnetic labels, geophysical surveying, environmental monitoring, detection of unexploded ordnance, diagnosis of intestinal ischemia, and screening for cardiac arrhythmias The potential market size for some of the applications reaches over $1 billion.