High sensitivity, directional dc-SQUID magnetometer

摘要

A solid state dc-SQUID includes a superconducting loop containing a plurality of Josephson junctions, wherein an intrinsic phase shift is accumulated through the loop. In an embodiment of the invention, the current-phase response of the dc-SQUID sits in a linear regime where directional sensitivity to flux through the loop occurs. Changes in the flux passing through the superconducting loop stimulates current which can be quantified, thus providing a means of measuring the magnetic field. Given the linear and directional response regime of the embodied device, an inherent current to phase sensitivity is achieved that would otherwise be unobtainable in common dc-SQUID devices without extrinsic intervention.