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2-G Enterprises, Palo Alto, CA
Basically a garage shop outfit, they have two decades experience in constructing SQUID systems.
Their principle product is a rock magnetometer. They are also a manufacturer of SQUID systems
to various government agencies. Normally, they supply their own rf SQUID sensors and
electronics, but have supplied systems with BTi SQUIDs. Estimated revenues for 1989 were on
the order of $ 1,000,000.
Systems
Integrators
SQM Technology, San Diego, CA
Spun off from Physical Dynamics, SQM is a small company with only a few persons devoted to
SQUID systems. They have constructed SQUID magnetometers for geophysical research, most
often in hostile environments (arctic, underwater, etc.). Current research interests included
SQUID NDE. They often use outside vendors (QD, BTi) for major subsystems. Current research
support comes from SBIR grants (DARPA, ONR and DoE). Annual revenues are estimated to be
less than $1,000,000.
Dynamics Technologies, Torrance, CA
Funded by a DoE SBIR phase II grant, they built a single airborne 6-element system. The
magnetometer array consisted of 3 first derivative vertical () gradiometers plus 3 orthogonal
magnetometers for electronic noise cancellation) using QD 200 MHz electronics. The probe was
constructed by Quantum Design. Gradient sensitivity
-10,000 fT/meter (3 x 10“3 g/ft), mostly due to motion-induced noise. Apart from the SBIR
grant, annual revenues are minimal (<$100,000).
IBM, Yorktown Heights.
The largest research group devoted to investigation into SQUID devices. The IBM SQUID effort
is a basic research activity that started as a result of technical capabilities available in IBM’s
Josephson computer effort. The Yorktown Heights group has fabricated the world’s best SQUID
sensors, based on a Nb/NT^Os/PbAuIn edge junction technology. Although these devices are not
for sale, IBM has loaned some of them to outside research groups (Helsinki and Cornell). Using a
silicon processing line, IBM can fabricate Josephson devices with m, line widths. Linewidths of m
may be possible using e-beam techniques. Approximately ten people are involved in the low-Tc
effort.
IBM’s work on high temperature superconductivity is heavily concentrated on thin-film dc
SQUIDs. Their thallium-based high Tc devices have white noise -10'30 Joule/Hz, roughly
equivalent to BTi’s dc SQUIDs without the use of Dynabias. IBM has successfully combined
YBa2Cu3<>7 _(j coils with niobium SQUID sensors (operating at 4.2 K) and thallium dc SQUID
sensors (operating at 90 K). IBM’s effort can be considered to be major and they can be expected
to produce a fully functional high-Tc SQUID sensor before the end of 1990. Like the low-Tc
effort, approximately ten people are involved in the high-Tc effort.
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IBM, Federal Systems, Alexandria VA is the prime contractor on the NCSC, Panama City
MADOM refurbishment Technical support comes from IBM, Yorktown Heights and Quantum
Design.
Existing U.S. Capability-Potential Manufacturers
There are several other groups with the ability to produce SQUID devices. For the most part,
these groups’ capabilities derive from other projects involving Josephson junction research,
typically in the area of high speed (digital) electronics.
HYPRES, Elmsford, NY
Manufacturer of Josephson junction based oscilloscopes. HYPRES has the capability to produce
niobium and NbN SQUIDs in quantity, and could be considered as a potential foundry operation.
HYPRES is funded almost entirely by venture capital groups. Under ONR funding, Hypres has
been developing an all thin-film NbN digital SQUID magnetometer. HYPRES has a
DARPA/ONR contract to do research into high temperature superconductivity and is working on
YBa2Cu3 C>7 _ (i SQUID devices. HYPRES showed early interest into biomagnetism but did not
pursue this area due to its capital intensive requirements.
TRW, Redondo Beach, CA
Led by Arnold Silver, TRW has several groups investigating superconducting electronics. Their
facilities include Nb and NbN Josephson lines for high speed electronics. For the MADOM
program, they bid with CTF Systems on a horizontal dewar. Three contracts support work on
high-Tc SQUIDs and several promising techniques for SQUID fabrication are under development
Funding is primarily from DoD (DARPA/ONR, SDIO, etc.). YBa2Cu307 .d rf SQUIDs utilizing
engineered microbridges have achieved 1.5 x 10'^ Fq/ at 50 K (f = 100 Hz). YBa2Cu3O7 .fi dc
SQUIDs have also been fabricated.
Ball Aerospace, Boulder, CO
Experienced in cryogenics. Ball’s main interests are in space-borne applications. Ball is
duplicating the BTi 330 rf SQUID electronics for readouts of ultra precise cryogenic
thermometers for the Stanford gamma-point satellite experiment. Ball is also supplying the
horizontal dewars for the MADOM refurbishment.
Lockheed, Palo Alto, CA
As part of the cryogenics package, Lockheed will space qualify dc SQUID electronics and sensors
for the Gravity Probe “B” satellite test of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.
Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, CA
Interests are in high speed electronics. They have been awarded a DARPA contract to do research
into high temperature superconductivity.
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Rockwell, Anaheim, CA
Interests are in high speed electronics. Rockwell was a bidder on the NCSC, Panama City
MADAIR program with assistance from Bill Goree of 2-G Enterprises.
Westinghouse, Pittsburgh, PA
Heavily involved with all aspects of superconductivity, large scale and small scale, both low-Tc
and high-Tc
. At one time, Westinghouse intended to team with BTi on the NCSC Panama City
MADOM program.
RMC Cryosystems, Tucson, AZ
Primarily a manufacturer of cryogenic equipment, RMC sells a Josephson voltage standard
system. The Josephson array chip (consisting of 3,020 Josephson junctions) is fabricated by NIST,
Boulder. RMC packages and markets the system ($125,000) or appropriate components. Initial
sales are expected to be on the order of
1 1— 14/year. Other than Producing superconducting fixed
point standards for ultra-low temperature measurements, RMC is not expected to extend its
superconducting product line in the near future. RMC has 60 employees with 1989 revenues
estimated to be six to seven million dollars.
Sperry Defense Systems Division, St. Paul, MN.
Initial research (ca. 1978) on Josephson junction was for potential computer applications. A
Sperry-SHE team was awarded the NCSC/Panama City SQUID MADAIR ASW magnetometer
contract in 1980. In 1984, the SQUID magnetometer program was a 24 man effort. By 1984, the
cutbacks reduced the effort to 8-10. Technology and product development was mainly supported
by government contracts. Sperry published several articles describing the HYBRID SQUID
technology developed by S.H.E. Sperry unsuccessfully sought collaboration with Los Alamos
National Laboratory to develop a 32 channel system for medical applications with government
money. The group was disbanded in
1 988.
Conductus, San Jose, CA
Conductus is a small but growing company funded by venture capital, several SBIRs and
contracts. The company is led by John Rowell and John Clarke (the latter from Berkeley), and has
demonstrated considerable expertise in low-Tc and high-Tc SQUID devices. They also have been
developing a high speed superconducting A/D converter together with Hewlett-Packard.
Conductus has entered into a CRDA with the Los Alamos P-6 group to supply sensors for
developing a -100 channel SQUID neuromagnetometer. They are a potential manufacturer of
MEG and MCG systems, given sufficient capital.
G.E. Medical Systems
General Electric has recently entered the MEG instrumentation arena by entering into
collaboration with a company in Italy (Mediterranean Superconducting Sensor Laboratory),
related to the Rome group.
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University and Government Laboratories
University of California at Berkeley
Most of the top SQUID investigators (Ketchen, Tesche, van Harlingen, etc.) are students from
John Clarke’s laboratory. This facility was the first to produce a dc SQUID that approached
sensitivities of 10*34 Joule/Hz. A pioneer in use of SQUIDs for magnetotellurics, his group is now
investigating the use of SQUIDs as detectors for low frequency NMR measurements. Clarke’s
group has had a number of students from the Peoples Republic of China.
Stanford University
The primary interest is in high temperature superconductivity including SQUID sensors. Beasley’s
group has also successfully produced low noise Nb3Ge and Nb3Sn SQUIDs operating as high as
19 K. Measured without input coils attached, the best of these devices had an energy sensitivity
better than 10'32 Joule/Hz (T = 4.2K, f = 10 kHz). Led by the late Professor William Fairbanks,
Stanford University is heavily involved with the use of SQUID magnetometers as readout devices
in satellite experiments (zero gravity measurements of the 4He g-point transition and fundamental
tests of Einstein’s theory of general relativity— Gravity Probe “B”).
University of Illinois
van Harlingen’s group in the physics department has produced dc SQUIDs with 10'34 Joule/Hz
noise levels. These devices, which operate at frequencies as high as a MHz, hold the current
record for low noise.
National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO
Formerly the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), the Boulder labs have a sophisticated
fabrication facility that is open to foreign visitors. The Italians, in particular, have made use of
these facilities to learn how to fabricate the dc SQUID sensors that are being produced at CNR,
Rome. As mentioned, NIST supplies the Josephson voltage standard chips to RMC as part of
NIST’s technology transfer program.
With the advent of high temperature superconductivity, NBS intends to be the “Center for
Superconducting Electronics”. They have produced a high-Tc (YBa2Cu307 _ (j) break junction rf
SQUID that operates at 81 K.
Other
There are several university and government laboratories whose main interest is digital
applications (Josephson junctions for high speed electronics). Their facilities and capabilities are
directly transferable to SQUID sensors and could easily start production of SQUID sensors if a
sufficient reason existed. These include such facilities as the University of Rochester, MIT Lincoln
Laboratories and the Naval Research Laboratory (NbN devices). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory
has had interest in the past in SQUID magnetometers.
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