Long baseline planar superconducting gradiometer for biomagnetic imaging

摘要

A niobium based dc-superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) planar gradiometer with a long baseline (50 mm) for biomagnetic applications has been developed. The pickup antenna consists of two integrated rectangular coils connected in series and magnetically coupled to a dc-SQUID in a double parallel washer configuration by two series multiturn input coils. Due to a high intrinsic responsivity, the sensors have shown at 7=4.2 K a white magnetic flux noise spectral density as low as 3 μΦ_0/Hz~(1/2). The spectral density of the magnetic field noise referred to one sensing coil, is 3.0 fT/Hz~(1/2) resulting in a gradient spectral noise of 0.6 fT/(cm Hz~(1/2)). In order to verify the effectiveness of such sensors for biomagnetic applications, the magnetic response to a current dipole has been calculated and the results have been compared with those of an analogous axial gradiometer. The results show that there is no significant difference. Due to their high intrinsic balance and good performances, planar gradiometers may be the elective sensors for biomagnetic application in a soft shielded environment.