Abstract: On the basis of a finding that a magnetic hysteresis of a metal material, among magnetization characteristics changing with secular degradation of the metal material, shows a clear correspondence with the degree of degradation of the metal material, a change in such a magnetization characteristic is measured to estimate the degree of secular degradation of the metal material, In a typical embodiment, a superconducting quantum interference device is used to detect the magnetization characteristic of a measuring object. According to the present invention, the degree of embrittlement of a metal material used in an environment of high temperatures can be quickly detected in a non-destructive fashion so that the danger of brittle fracture of the metal material can be reliably prevented.

Abstract: A SQUIDs magnetometer has three planar SQUID's which are fabricated on substrates mounted on three nonparallel surfaces of a member. Each SQUID is connected to a flux-locked loop drive circuit, and each SQUID has a main coil which is formed on the respective substrate and is threaded by the flux of an external magentic field which is being measured.

Abstract: A thin film dc SQUID and its driving electronic circuitry configured with very high symmetry. The SQUID loop is formed with four holes at the respective ends of crossed slits. Each of these holes forms a single turn secondary for symmetrically arranged pairs of modulation coils and signal coils. The geometrical placement of the modulation coil transformers with respect to the signal coil transformers results in a device which nominally has no mutual inductance between the two groups of coils when the SQUID is biased for normal operation. The external driving circuit is configured to preserve the highly balanced nature of the chip and forces equal magnitudes of current to flow in all four of the bias leads.

Abstract: A superconducting gradiometer for measuring weak magnetic fields for a measuring device comprising a SQUID (Superconductive Quantum Interference Devices), a gradiometer coil, a coupling coil, a cryosystem and a signal processing device, in which the well-defined gradient of a magnetic field to be measured is detected by means of the gradiometer. A coil of the gradiometer is made of superconducting wire, arranged about a carrier body in axial and circumferential grooves cut in the carrier body, the grooves being coated with a superconducting thin film. The thin film in the circumferential grooves is interrupted by slots. The wire in the respective circumferential grooves comprises loops wound in opposing directions connected by a twisted pair of connecting leads secured in the axial groove.

Abstract: A digital SQUID control system for measuring a weak magnetic flux irradiated from an object includes: a SQUID having Josephson junctions and a superconductively coil; a pick-up coil detecting the weak magnetic flux from the object and flowing a measuring current in the pick-up coil, and an input coil magnetically coupled to the superconductivity coil through the measuring current; a feedback coil magnetically coupled to the superconductivity coil through a feedback current; a feedback circuit for counting positive and negative pulses input from the SQUID, for converting count values to an analog voltage, and for converting the analog voltage to the feedback current; an alternating has current generating circuit connected to the SQUID through an injection terminal, for supplying the alternating bias current to the SQUID; and a pulse rate measuring circuit for calculating a sum of the positive and negative pulses, for converting the sum to an analog voltage, and for outputting the analog voltage to the alternat

Abstract: An RF magnetic flux measuring circuit uses a SQUID fluxmeter of which the input and output characteristics establish a periodic function, and in which a pick-up coil for picking up desired RF magnetic flux and an input coil of the SQUID fluxmeter are connected to form a closed loop which is a superconducting loop for transferring the magnetic flux to the SQUID. There is also provided an inductance adjusting device which adjusts the inductance of the superconducting loop to limit the magnetic flux that crosses the SQUID fluxmeter within a range of a single-valued function in said input and output characteristics.

Abstract: An improved pick-up coil system for use with Superconducting Quantum Interference Device gradiometers and magnetometers involving the use of superconducting plates near conventional pick-up coil arrangements to provide imaging of nearby dipole sources and to deflect environmental magnetic noise away from the pick-up coils. This allows the practice of gradiometry and magnetometry in magnetically unshielded environments. One embodiment uses a hemispherically shaped superconducting plate with interior pick-up coils, allowing brain wave measurements to be made on human patients. another embodiment using flat superconducting plates could be used in non-destructive evaluation of materials.

Abstract: A gradiometer loop system is provided for a device for the multi-channel measurement of very weak magnetic fields where the superconducting gradiometer loops are combined in at least one array and arranged on a carrier body and, like superconducting connecting leads to be connected to them are designed as thin film structures. The gradiometer loops are arranged on the two flat sides of a carrier foil distributed such that together they occupy an at least approximately closed array area, and the connecting leads are designed in the region of the array area placed so that they are shielded at least largely by means of conductor runs to gradiometer loops located on the respective opposite flat side of the carrier foil.

Abstract: A SQUID comparator having two junctions configured so that its operating characteristics are substantially the same as a single junction SQUID. In particular, the ratio of the critical current of these two junctions is selected to avoid introduction of hysteresis. An n-bit single pass comparator is present that can produce 4-bit A/D conversion up to 10 GHz. A method is implemented to remove effects of dynamic hysteresis by use complementary comparators.

Abstract: A SQUID system, such as a SQUID magnetometer, including a SQUID and a bias circuit supply a pulsed bias current to cause an output of a pulsed output from an injection point in the SQUID. The SQUID has a predetermined threshold characteristic which is asymmetrical with respect to a coordinate defined by a current to be measured and flowing through a first junction line and the bias current. The bias current supplied from the bias circuit comprises pulses which are alternately positive polarity pulses and negative polarity pulses, and has a first frequency. The threshold characteristic and the bias current are defined to output an output signal comprising pulses, the number thereof being proportional to the current to be measured and a polarity thereof corresponding to a polarity of the current to be measured.

Abstract: The SQUID magnetometer for a device for the single-channel or multi-channel measurement of very weak magnetic fields caused by at least one field source to be detected contains at least two super-conducting gradiometer loops which, with two Josephson tunnel elements form a d-c SQUID. This magnetometer should have high sensitivity with good interference suppression. At least one detection loop and at least one compensation loop are located as the gradiometer loops as well as the Josephson tunnel elements together with superconducting connecting conductors between these parts one behind the other on a three-dimensional surface of a carrier and the mutual distance between the detection loop and the compensation loop is chosen sufficiently large that the magnetic flux, also picked up by the compensation loop of the field source to be detected, amounts to at most 20% of the magnetic flux picked up by the detection loop.

Abstract: A superconducting magnetometer, using a superconducting compound at the temperature of liquid nitrogen, is disclosed. It consists in the use, as a sensitive element, of a piece of superconducting material with a central constriction enabling the demarcation of a channel in which the number of useful, intrinsic loops is sufficiently limited for the sensitive element to behave like a DC SQUID with a single loop.

Abstract: A SQUID for detecting a weak magnetic field is constructed of a sensor coil which detects a signal magnetic flux, and a superconducting loop which is magnetically coupled with the sensor coil to generate a periodic voltage corresponding to an interlinking magnetic flux from the sensor coil. The periodic voltage from the SQUID is amplified, and is taken out. The periodic voltage taken out is synchronously detected by a phase-sensitive detecting amplifier. The synchronously-detected signal is converted into a light signal, which is fed back to the SQUID. The light signal fed back is converted into an electric signal by a superconducting phototransistor which is arranged in a cryogenic atmosphere. A magnetic flux corresponding to the electric signal from the superconducting phototransistor is fed back to the superconducting loop by a feedback coil.