Thin-Film Planar Gradiometer with Long Baseline

Abstract

Gradiometers are attractive for magnetic field measurements in noisy environments. Thin-film planar gradiometers are in particular attractive for measurements of the off-diagonal components of the magnetic field gradient tensor, and they can be fabricated with high intrinsic balance owing to the precision photolithographic techniques used to fabricate these devices. We have developed a low-Tc first-order planar gradiometer with a long baseline of 4 cm. The pickup loops are series configured and connected to the input circuit of a dual washer gradiometric dc SQUID. The white rms flux noise measured in a shielded environment is 1.6 µΦ0/Hz½. The magnetic field sensitivity referred to one pickup loop is 2 nT/Φ0, resulting in an rms magnetic field noise referred to one pickup loop of 3.2 fT/Hz½ and an rms gradient noise of 0.8 fT/cm-Hz½. Based on the lithographic methods used to fabricate the gradiometers, the expected balance level is 1 part in 24, 000 or 0.004%. The gradiometer is operable without shielding in typical laboratory environments without losing lock, with an rms white noise at 10 kHz of 3.5 µΦ0/Hz½.