Superconductivity Transition Dependence of the Thermal Crosstalk in YBa2Cu3O7-x Edge-Transition Bolometer Arrays

The effect of the superconductivity transition on the thermal crosstalk in YBa2Cu3O7-x, edge-transition bolometer arrays is investigated for DC to midrange modulation frequency infrared radiation. The bolometers; in the arrays were designed with various distances on SrTiO3 (100) substrates. We have observed a change in the thermal crosstalk between neighbor devices through the superconductivity transition temperature range. Superconductivity transition dependence of the thermal coupling between the devices was measured by utilizing the thermal conductance measurement methods developed for the bulk material. The knee points in the magnitude of the response versus modulation frequency curves of the devices were also determined by illuminating one of the bolometers in the arrays and measuring the response of the neighbor devices. By using the knee frequency and the distance between the bolometers, the modulation frequency criterion for crosstalk-free response at the transition region in various array structures is found and the results of the thermal coupling measurements are further studied and presented here

HTS SQUID System for Eddy Current Testing of Airplane Wheels and Rivets

Nondestructive testing (NDT) of new and aging aircraft structures is essential for flight safety. Inspection costs can be reduced by using an inspection technique with high sensitivity for small flaws. Of the many NDT methods being used in aircraft maintenance, eddy-current testing is well established, especially for layered structures. Nevertheless, some test tasks cannot be assured with conventional eddy current systems with sufficient sensitivity and dynamic range. Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) are the most sensitive magnetic field sensors known to date. With the discovery of High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) ten years ago and the subsequent development of HTS SQUIDs requiring only cooling down to liquid nitrogen temperature, the greatest application barrier appears solvable. SQUID systems offer a high sensitivity at low excitation frequencies, permitting the detection of deeper flaws, and a high linearity, allowing quantitative evaluation of magnetic field maps from the investigated structure [1–3]. The potential of eddy current testing with HTS SQUIDs has previously been demonstrated for up to 5 cm deep-lying defects in stacks of aluminum sheets using a stationary axial SQUID gradiometer [4]. Kreutzbruck et al. [5] performed a direct comparison between a SQUID magnetometer system and a conventional eddy current testing unit (Elotest Bl of Rohmann GmbH), with a well defined saw cut in a plate of aircraft aluminum alloy hidden under a stack of flawless aluminum plates. They demonstrated an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 150, when comparing the SQUID signature of the slot with the conventional system

Analytical modelling of the interpixel thermal crosstalk in superconducting edge-transition bolometer arrays

We present an analytical thermal model to explain the crosstalk in YBCO edge-transition bolometer arrays. The verification of the model was tested on sample array devices made of 200 and 400 nm YBCO films on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates. The model presented was able to explain the effects of the various physical parameters of the devices, such as the film thickness, operating temperature, and the device separation, which cause different response behaviours based on the variation of the related thermal crosstalk characteristics. In addition, the model is valid above the crosstalk-free modulation frequencies, where the effects of the thermal crosstalk on the response of the devices are negligible. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd

Superconductivity transition dependence of the thermal crosstalk in YBa 2Cu 3O 7-x edge-transition bolometer arrays

The effect of the superconductivity transition on the thermal crosstalk in YBa 2Cu 3O 7-x, edge-transition bolometer arrays is investigated for DC to midrange modulation frequency infrared radiation. The bolometers in the arrays were designed with various distances on SrTiO 3 (100) substrates. We have observed a change in the thermal crosstalk between neighbor devices through the superconductivity transition temperature range. Superconductivity transition dependence of the thermal coupling between the devices was measured by utilizing the thermal conductance measurement methods developed for the bulk material. The knee points in the magnitude of the response versus modulation frequency curves of the devices were also determined by illuminating one of the bolometers in the arrays and measuring the response of the neighbor devices. By using the knee frequency and the distance between the bolometers, the modulation frequency criterion for crosstalk-free response at the transition region in various array structures is found and the results of the thermal coupling measurements are further studied and presented here. © 2005 IEEE

Feasibility of electrical-contact free measurement of the response of superconductive bolometer arrays using the thermal crosstalk

We utilized and investigated the unique dependence of the magnitude and phase of the response on the thermal crosstalk between bolometer pixels in an array to measure the response of the devices through fewer monitoring devices. In this study, we show the feasibility of the proposed read-out technique by use of two source pixels in an array, as the image-mapping devices, and one optically shielded pixel as the read-out device. While the sense pixels were electrical-contact free, the read-out device was current biased in 4-probe current-bias configuration. Both the phase and magnitude of the response due to the crosstalk in the array were found to be strongly dependent on the modulation frequency and the distance between the sense and read-out pixels. A series of measurements were designed to extract the response of each single sense-pixel. By combining the measured data, the response of individual pixels could be extracted through the interpolation of the mapped responses. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd

Electrical-contact-free readout of the response of superconductive bolometer arrays using thermal cross talk

We utilized and investigated the unique dependence of the magnitude and phase of the response on thermal cross talk between bolometer pixels in an array to measure the response of the devices through fewer monitoring devices. We show the feasibility of the proposed readout technique by use of two source pixels in an array, as the image-mapping devices, and one optically shielded pixel as the readout device. While the sensing pixels were electrical-contact free, the readout device was current biased in 4-probe current-bias configuration. Both the phase and the magnitude of the response due to the cross talk in the array were found to be strongly dependent on the modulation frequency and the distance between the sensing and the readout pixels. A series of measurements were designed to extract the response of each single-sensing pixel. By combining the measured data, the response of individual pixels could be extracted through the interpolation of the mapped responses. © 2006 Optical Society of America

Effect of the superconductivity transition on the response of YBCO edge transition bolometers

Dependence of the phase and magnitude of the response of Y-Ba-Cu-O edge transition bolometers on the superconducting transition is studied. The responses of both large and small area devices were investigated and several anomalies are observed. The response of small area LaAlO3 devices considerably differed from that expected based on the dR/dT curve. This discrepancy is observed to be strongly dependent on the superconducting transition. Both the phase and magnitude/(dR/dT) of the response of the devices showed abrupt changes for below the Tc-onset when measured versus temperature, while the phase variation also showed strong dependence on the modulation frequency. We present the analysis and propose mechanisms responsible for the modulation frequency dependence of the response characteristics versus temperature, within the superconductivity transition region of the devices

Low noise SQUID Based NDE with Non-magnetic scanning system in unshielded environment

Abstract. A Non-magnetic scanning Robotic system with special EMC considerations has been designed for SQUID-Based NDE of room temperature stationary samples in unshielded environment. Considerable efforts have been made to cancel out noise of the system which resulted in detection of two major noise sources. Characterizing the noise contribution of the involved parts, a minor noise component was found to be due to the robot and the other due to liquid nitrogen bubbling in some frequencies which could be avoided by choosing proper excitation frequency. Using our NDE system we performed a NDE scan of hidden cracks in aluminum plates with white noise level of 50 μΦ 0 /Hz -1/2 . Introduction Nondestructive evaluation systems have found applications far beyond accessing damages and cracks in industrial products and structures. There is tremendous potential in employing a high-Tc Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of metallic structures. For eddy current NDE, SQUIDs can be used with an excitation magnetic field to image cracks or material erosion deep in conducting structures. Demand for practical nondestructive evaluation of large-scale objects has prompted systems with freely movable SQUID sensors against them. However because of the sensitivity of the SQUID to rotation in an external magnetic field or translation in an external field gradient, the signal-tonoise ratio of the SQUID sensor is adversely affected in a portable system. To suppress the frequent spurious signals, in most conventional SQUID-NDE systems the object is moved under a rigidly fixed SQUID sensor in a stationary cryogenic dewar, while the sensor is covered by magnetic shielding. Independent groups have worked on the realization of SQUID sensor that can freely move in ambient environment. Isawa et al reported a traveling SQUID-NDE for low-Tc sensor in [1]. Our experimental results have shown that SQUID signal is affected by commercial scanning systems because of their materials and high capability for electromagnetic noise induction. Recently we developed a practical NDE system with portable high-Tc rf-SQUID for inspection of stationary targets based on a designed nonmagnetic low noise robo

Signal enhancement techniques for rf SQUID based magnetic imaging systems

We have investigated the rf SQUID (radio-frequency superconducting quantum interference device) and its coupling to tank circuit configurations to achieve an optimal front-end assembly for sensitive and high spatial resolution magnetic imaging systems. The investigation of the YBCO rf SQUID coupling to the conventional LC tank circuits revealed that coupling from the back of the SQUID substrate enhances the SQUID signal while facilitating the front-end assembly configuration. The optimal thickness of the substrate material between the SQUID and the tank circuit is 0.4 mm for LaAlO3 resulting in an increase of the SQUID flux-voltage transfer function signal, Vspp, of 1.5 times, and 0.5 mm for SrTiO3 with an increase of V spp of 1.62 times compared to that for direct face to face couplings. For rf coupling with a coplanar resonator, it has been found that the best configuration, in which a resonator is sandwiched between the SQUID substrate and the resonator substrate, provides a Vspp about 3.4 times higher than that for the worse case where the resonator and the SQUID are coupled back to back. The use of a resonator leads to a limitation of the achievable spatial resolution due to its flux focusing characteristics. This resulted in a favouring of the use of the conventional tank circuits when considering the desired high spatial resolution. The effect of the YBCO flip chip magnetic shielding of the SQUIDs in the back-coupling with the LC tank circuit configuration has also been investigated, with a view to reducing the SQUID effective area to increase the spatial resolution and also for studying the effect of the coupling of various kinds of transformers to the SQUIDs. It is revealed that there is no very considerable change in the flux-voltage transfer function signal level with respect to the effective shield area, while the lowest working temperature of the SQUIDs was slightly shifted higher by a couple of degrees, depending on the shield area. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd

Investigation of bias current and modulation frequency dependences of detectivity of YBCO TES and the effects of coating of Cu-C composite absorber layer

Bolometric response and noise characteristics of YBCO superconductor transition edge IR detectors with relatively sharp transition and its resulting detectivity are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The magnitude of response of a fabricated device was obtained for different bias currents and modulation frequencies. Using the measured and calculated bolometric response and noise characteristics, we found and analyzed the device detectivity versus frequency for different bias currents. The detectivity versus chopping frequency of the device did not decrease following the response strongly, due to the decrease of the noise at higher frequencies up to 1 kHz, resulting in maximum detectivity around the modulation frequency of 100 Hz. We also improved the responsivity of the device through the increase of the surface absorption by using a novel infrared absorber, which is made of a copper-carbon composite, coated in a low-temperature process. Within the modulation frequency range studied in this paper, comparison of device detectivity before and after coating is also presented. © 2009 IEEE