SBIR Phase II: Development of Low-Cost Single-Stage Superconducting Quantum Interface Device (SQUID) Array Amplifiers for High-Resolution Particle and X-Ray Detectors

SBIR 第二阶段：开发用于高分辨率粒子和 X 射线探测器的低成本单级超导量子接口器件 (SQUID) 阵列放大器

• 批准号: 9901821
• 负责人: Masoud Radparvar
• 金额: $ 33.48万
• 依托单位: HYPRES, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-09-01 至 2001-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9901821&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Development; Low

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the development of a wide-bandwidth Superconducting Quantum Interface Device (SQUID)-based amplifier for cryogenic particle detectors. An approach for implementing a two-stage SQUID amplifier readout scheme was first introduced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Utilizing this approach, the firm has already optimized and successfully commercialized a first-generation SQUID amplifier system with associated room temperature electronics. This system exhibits a sensitivity of 2 pA/root Hz, a bandwidth of 2 MHz, and an operating temperature of 0.7K - 4.2K. However, the relatively small bandwidth and the lower bound of its operating temperature have limited its applicability to a small fraction of all cryogenic detectors. During the Phase I project, the feasibility of an innovative design scheme integrating 100-200 SQUID capable of 50 MHz bandwidth while retaining low noise performance was established. It is, therefore, proposed to demonstrate and prepare for Phase III commercialization effort an amplifier system based on this SQUID architecture which possesses 1 pA/root Hz sensitivity and 50 MHz bandwidth. As part of the development effort, the fabrication materials will be altered to allow operation well below 0.7 K down to a few mK. This system significantly expands the applicability of the amplifier to virtually all cryogenic x-ray and particle detector readouts. The availability of such a low-cost SQUID amplifier would result in their use for nearly all high energy physics research experiments, high-resolution x-ray spectroscopy, imaging detectors, particle identification systems, biomagnetometry for the mapping of brain functions, and detection of corrosion and cracks-in aircraft.

该小型企业创新研究 (SBIR) 第二阶段项目致力于开发用于低温粒子探测器的基于宽带超导量子接口器件 (SQUID) 的放大器。 美国国家标准与技术研究院 (NIST) 首先提出了一种实现两级 SQUID 放大器读出方案的方法。 利用这种方法，该公司已经优化并成功商业化了带有相关室温电子器件的第一代 SQUID 放大器系统。 该系统的灵敏度为 2 pA/root Hz，带宽为 2 MHz，工作温度为 0.7K - 4.2K。 然而，相对较小的带宽和其工作温度的下限限制了其在所有低温探测器中的一小部分的适用性。 在第一阶段项目中，建立了集成 100-200 个 SQUID（具有 50 MHz 带宽，同时保持低噪声性能）的创新设计方案的可行性。 因此，建议为第三阶段的商业化工作演示和准备基于该 SQUID 架构的放大器系统，该系统具有 1 pA/root Hz 灵敏度和 50 MHz 带宽。 作为开发工作的一部分，制造材料将进行更改，以允许在远低于 0.7 K 至几 mK 的温度下运行。该系统显着扩展了放大器的适用性，几乎适用于所有低温 X 射线和粒子探测器读数。 这种低成本 SQUID 放大器的出现将导致它们用于几乎所有高能物理研究实验、高分辨率 X 射线光谱、成像探测器、粒子识别系统、用于绘制大脑功能的生物磁力测量以及检测飞机上的腐蚀和裂纹。