SBIR Phase II: Enhanced Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Electronics and Sensors Adapted for Use with Cryogenic Detectors

* 9623957新加坡/竹篙湾 这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目解决了对低温辐射和粒子探测器的读出电子器件的改进需求，这些探测器正在为天体物理学，粒子探测，医学成像和材料科学的各种应用而开发。这些装置中的许多使用超导量子干涉装置（SQUID）来阅读来自检测器的信号。SQUID对电流、电压或磁通量的微小变化具有极高的灵敏度，这对于达到新探测器的探测和分辨率极限至关重要。由于带宽和转换速率的限制，现有的SQUID系统在利用这些检测器的全部潜力方面通常是无效的或有用性有限的，这使得高计数率检测和脉冲形状确定困难或不可能。最近在高速SQUID电子学和改进的传感器方面的工作表明，性能不仅可以在频率响应和转换速率方面大大提高，而且可以在稳定性、可靠性和噪声水平方面大大提高。这将是低温辐射和粒子探测器读数的重大进展。这些改进还将有助于使实验室能够用于其他工业，军事和现场应用。 SQUID技术走出实验室，用于其他工业、军事和现场应用。 这里开发的技术将通过提供在更宽的频率范围内进行测量的能力，以及在以前难以或不可能进行测量的恶劣环境中，显着推进do SQUID系统的使用。受益于这些进步的商业应用包括涡流和生物医学仪器、地基或机载磁异常检测和机载重力梯度仪。 ***

*** 9623957 Singsaas/Penny This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project addresses the need for improvements in the readout electronics for cryogenic radiation and particle detectors whic are being developed for diverse applications in astrophysics, particle detection, medical imaging, and materials science. Many of these devices use a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) for reading out the signal from the detector. The extreme sensitivity of SQUIDs to small changes in current, voltage or magnetic flux are essential for reaching the detection and resolution limits of the new detectors. Existing SQUID systems are often ineffectual or of limited usefulness in exploiting the full potential of these detectors due to limitations of bandwidth and slew rate, which make high count rate detection and pulse shape determination difficult or impossible. Recent work on high-speed SQUID electronics and improved sensors has shown that performance can be greatly improved not only in frequency response and slew rate, but also in stability, reliability and noise level. This will be a significant advance for cryogenic radiation and particle detector readout. The improvements will also aid in enabling laboratory for other industrial, military, and field use applications. SQUID technology to emerge out of the laboratory for other industrial, military, and field use applications. The technology developed here will significantly advance the use of do SQUID systems by providing the capability for measurements over a much wider range of frequencies, as well as in harsh environments where measurements were difficult or impossible to perform previously. Commercial applications benefiting from these advances include eddy current and biomedical instruments, ground-based or airborne magnetic anomaly detection, and airborn gravity gradiometers. ***