Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5 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 airbome 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/Nb2O5/PbAuIn edge junction technology. Although these devices are not for sale, IBM has loaned some of them to outside research groups (Helsinki and Comell). 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-T¢ effort. [BM’s work on high temperature superconductivity is heavily concentrated on thin-film dc SQUIDs. Their thallium-based high T, devices have white noise ~10-39 Joule/Hz, roughly equivalent to BTi’s dc SQUIDs without the use of Dynabias. IBM has successfully combined YBa7Cu307-_q coils with niobium SQUID sensors (operating at 4.2 K) and thallium de 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-T, SQUID sensor before the end of 1990. Like the low-T¢ effort, approximately ten people are involved in the high-T, effort. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5 [BM, 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 YBa7Cu307.q 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-T, SQUIDs and several promising techniques for SQUID fabrication are under development. Funding is primarily from DoD (DARPA/ONR, SDIO, etc.). YBa2Cu307-q rf SQUIDs utilizing engineered microbridges have achieved 1.5 x 10-9 Fo/ at 50 K (f = 100 Hz). YBazCu307-q de 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. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5 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-T¢ and high-T,. 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 J osephson 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 11~14/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 1988. 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-T, and high-T, 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. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5
Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5 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-T¢ (YBa7Cu307-_g) 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. Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789R003300190001-5