HTS planar gradiometer consisting of SQUID with multi-turn input coil and large pickup coil made of GdBCO coated conductor

We have investigated the fabrication of a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) gradiometer with long baseline for geophysical applications. The proof-of-concept gradiometer using a 1-turn pickup coil made of a GdBa2Cu3Oy coated conductor (GCC) and 5.5-turn input coil integrated on a SQUID was fabricated in our previous work. In this study, we have optimized the device structure to improve the frequency response, gradient field sensitivity and gradiometer balance. The fabricated flux transformer consists of a 6-turn planar gradiometric pickup coil and a 26-turn input coil made of an HTS thin film. A low-melting-point alloy was used to connect polished Ag surfaces of the CGG pickup coil and Au pads of the input coil. An HTS SQUID was formed on another substrate and stacked on the input coil. A mechanical balancing structure using three pieces of GCC as a superconducting shield was also implemented. The fabricated gradiometer showed a gradient field noise of 0.8 fT/cm Hz1/2 in the white noise regions, a gradiometer balance of 1/142, and a cutoff frequency of 9 Hz corresponding to a 2 mΩ contact resistance between the pickup coil and the input coil.

► We fabricated a large HTS gradiometer with 350-mm-long baseline.
► A 6-turn gradiometric planar pickup was made of a HTS coated conductor.
► A 26-turn HTS input coil chip was stacked on a HTS thin film gradiometer chip.
► A mechanical balancing structure was also implemented.
► The fabricated gradiometer showed a gradient field noise of 0.8 fT/cm Hz1/2.