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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1990

A YBCO RF-SQUID magnetometer and its applications

An applicable RF-superconducting quantum interference detector (SQUID) magnetometer was made using a bulk sintered yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO). The temperature range of the magnetometer is 77 to 300 K and the field range 0 to 0.1T. At 77 K, the equivalent flux noise of the SQUID is 5 x 10 to minus 4 power theta sub o/square root of Hz at the frequency range of 20 to 200 Hz. The experiments show that the SQUID noise at low-frequency end is mainly from 1/f noise. A coil test shows that the magnetic moment sensitivity delta m is 10 to the minus 6th power emu. The RF-SQUID is shielded in a YBCO cylinder with a shielding ability B sub in/B sub ex of about 10 to the minus 6th power when external dc magnetic field is about a few Oe. The magnetometer is successfully used in characterizing superconducting thin films.

Luwei, Zhou↗
NASA NTRS1990

Superconducting six-axis accelerometer

A new superconducting accelerometer, capable of measuring both linear and angular accelerations, is under development at the University of Maryland. A single superconducting proof mass is magnetically levitated against gravity or any other proof force. Its relative positions and orientations with respect to the platform are monitored by six superconducting inductance bridges sharing a single amplifier, called the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). The six degrees of freedom, the three linear acceleration components and the three angular acceleration components, of the platform are measured simultaneously. In order to improve the linearity and the dynamic range of the instrument, the demodulated outputs of the SQUID are fed back to appropriate levitation coils so that the proof mass remains at the null position for all six inductance bridges. The expected intrinsic noise of the instrument is 4 x 10(exp -12)m s(exp -2) Hz(exp -1/2) for linear acceleration and 3 x 10(exp -11) rad s(exp -2) Hz(exp -1/2) for angular acceleration in 1-g environment. In 0-g, the linear acceleration sensitivity of the superconducting accelerometer could be improved by two orders of magnitude. The design and the operating principle of a laboratory prototype of the new instrument is discussed.

Paik, H. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Laboratory Produces YBa2Cu3O7-x Superconductive Films

Vacuum deposition system modified at low cost to produce superconducting thin films in quantities for development of new detector devices. Modification included installation of two additional electrical-resistance-heated sources. Films processed to make sensing elements of infrared-transition-edge bolometers and superconducting-quantum-interference-device (SQUID) junctions for SQUID magnetometer sensors.

Allen, Christine A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A YBCO RF-squid variable temperature susceptometer and its applications

The Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) susceptibility using a high-temperature radio-frequency (rf) SQUID and a normal metal pick-up coil is employed in testing weak magnetization of the sample. The magnetic moment resolution of the device is 1 x 10(exp -6) emu, and that of the susceptibility is 5 x 10(exp -6) emu/cu cm.

Zhou, Luwei↗
NASA NTRS1991

US Navy superconductivity program

Both the new high temperature superconductors (HTS) and the low temperature superconductors (LTS) are important components of the Navy's total plan to integrate superconductivity into field operational systems. Fundamental research is an important component of the total Navy program and focuses on the HTS materials. Power applications (ship propulsion) use LTS materials while space applications (millimeter wave electronics) use HTS materials. The Space Experiment to be conducted at NRL will involve space flight testing of HTS devices built by industry and will demonstrate the ability to engineer and space qualify these devices for systems use. Another important component of the Navy's effort is the development of Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometers. This program will use LTS materials initially, but plans to implement HTS materials as soon as possible. Hybrid HTS/LTS systems are probable in many applications. A review of the status of the Navy's HTS materials research is given as well as an update on the Navy's development efforts in superconductivity.

Gubser, Donald U.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Limitations on squeezing and formation of the superposition of two macroscopically distinguishable states at fundamental frequency in the process of second harmonic generation

The results of numerical simulations of quantum state evolution in the process of second harmonic generation (SHG) are discussed. It is shown that at a particular moment of time in the fundamental mode initially coherent state turns into a superposition of two macroscopically distinguished states. The question of whether this superposition exhibits quantum interference is analyzed.

Nikitin, S. P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Germanium Resistance Thermometer For Subkelvin Temperatures

Improved germanium resistance thermometer measures temperatures as small as 0.01 K accurately. Design provides large area for electrical connections (to reduce electrical gradients and increase sensitivity to changes in temperatures) and large heat sink (to minimize resistance heating). Gold pads on top and bottom of germanium crystal distribute electrical current and flow of heat nearly uniformly across crystal. Less expensive than magnetic thermometers or superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID's) otherwise used.

Castles, Stephen H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Paramagnetic-Salt Thermometer With Flux Pump And SQUID's

Paramagnetic-salt low-temperature thermometer incorporates improved superconducting magnetic-flux pump, multiple superconducting quantum interference devices as magnetometers, and feedback stabilization of magnetic flux. Requires much smaller initial magnetizing currents and provides improved temperature resolution via suppression of drift in magnetic induction.

Strayer, Donald M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Sandwich-Geometry YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta)/Au/Nb SNS Devices

Superconductor/normal-conductor/superconductor (SNS) devices in which electronically active layers consist of high-temperature superconductor YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta), normal conductor Au, and conventional superconductor Nb, fabricated in sandwich geometry. Devices and processes by which fabricated are part of continuing effort to develop SNS microbridges for use in superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDS's) or as mixers or local oscillators operating at frequencies of hundreds of gigahertz. Results show promise for manufacture of practical devices.

Foote, Marc C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Powering the superwind in NGC 253

NGC 253 is a prototypical moderate nuclear starburst galaxy. It is a barred SBc spiral galaxy at a distance of approximately 3 Mpc and can be studied on scales down to 15 pc in the optical and near IR. It is a bright IRAS source with a flux of 1000 Jy at 60 microns and a FIR luminosity of 3 x 10(exp 10) solar luminosity. It has a strong Br(gamma) emission line, a signature of ongoing massive star formation and deep CO absorption bands, which are indicative of the dominance of red supergiants in the near IR. It contains a population of compact radio sources, similar to those seen in M82. Optical spectra show that the nucleus is heavily reddened, with a Balmer decrement of approximately 30. NGC 253 possesses a 'superwind,' seen both in x-ray emission and in optical line emission. Nuclear ejection was first suggested to explain the kinematics of the nuclear region. We have obtained J, H, and K images of the entire galaxy at 1.3 arcsec/pixel (18 pc/pixel) using the superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) on the KPNO 1.3 m. We have constructed a mosaic of 180 s exposures which traces the galaxy over much of its optical extent. The data were shifted, rotated, magnified, and calibrated following normal practice.

Watson, Alan↗
NASA NTRS1993

Demonstration of Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device fabrication on the same sapphire substrate

We report the first fabrication of active semiconductor and high-temperature superconducting devices on the same substrate. Test structures of complementary MOS transistors were fabricated on the same sapphire substrate as test structures of Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) flux-flow transistors, and separately, Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) superconducting quantum interference devices utilizing both biepitaxial and step-edge Josephson junctions. Both semiconductor and superconductor devices were operated at 77 K. The cofabrication of devices using these disparate yet complementary electronic technologies on the same substrate opens the door for the fabrication of true semiconductive/superconductive hybrid integrated circuits capable of exploiting the best features of each of these technologies.

Burns, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Potential aerospace applications of high temperature superconductors

The recent discovery of High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) with superconducting transition temperature, T(sub c), above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen has opened the door for using these materials in new and practical applications. These materials have zero resistance to electric current, have the capability of carrying large currents and as such have the potential to be used in high magnetic field applications. One of the space applications that can use superconductors is electromagnetic launch of payloads to low-earth-orbit. An electromagnetic gun-type launcher can be used in small payload systems that are launched at very high velocity, while sled-type magnetically levitated launcher can be used to launch larger payloads at smaller velocities. Both types of launchers are being studied by NASA and the aerospace industry. The use of superconductors will be essential in any of these types of launchers in order to produce the large magnetic fields required to obtain large thrust forces. Low Temperature Superconductor (LTS) technology is mature enough and can be easily integrated in such systems. As for the HTS, many leading companies are currently producing HTS coils and magnets that potentially can be mass-produced for these launchers. It seems that designing and building a small-scale electromagnetic launcher is the next logical step toward seriously considering this method for launching payloads into low-earth-orbit. A second potential application is the use of HTS to build sensitive portable devices for the use in Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE). Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID's) are the most sensitive instruments for measuring changes in magnetic flux. By using HTS in SQUID's, one will be able to design a portable unit that uses liquid nitrogen or a cryocooler pump to explore the use of gradiometers or magnetometers to detect deep cracks or corrosion in structures. A third use is the replacement of Infra-Red (IR) sensor leads on Earth Orbit Systems (EOS) with HTS leads. IR detectors on these EOS missions are cooled to a 4.2K to improve their signal to noise ratio. They are connected to data acquisitions systems using manganin wires (low thermal conductors) to reduce the heat load on the cryogen. Replacing these wires with HTS leads will increase the lifetime of these missions by about 50 percent. This is a promising application that is ready for actual implementation on such systems. The analysis also show that an the number of IR detectors increase in larger EOS systems, substantial increase in the lifetime of each mission will be realized by using HTS leads instead of the manganin ones.

Selim, Raouf↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Gravity Probe B `Niobium bird' experiment: Verifying the data reduction scheme for estimating the relativistic precession of Earth-orbiting gyroscopes

Gravity Probe B (GP-B) is a relatively gyroscope experiment begun at Stanford University in 1960 and supported by NASA since 1963. This experiment will check, for the first time, the relativistic precession of an Earth-orbiting gyroscope that was predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, to an accuracy of 1 milliarcsecond per year or better. A drag-free satellite will carry four gyroscopes in a polar orbit to observe their relativistic precession. The primary sensor for measuring the direction of gyroscope spin axis is the SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometer. The data reduction scheme designed for the GP-B program processes the signal from the SQUID magnetometer and estimates the relativistic precession rates. We formulated the data reduction scheme and designed the Niobium bird experiment to verify the performance of the data reduction scheme experimentally with an actual SQUID magnetometer within the test loop. This paper reports the results from the first phase of the Niobium bird experiment, which used a commercially available SQUID magnetometer as its primary sensor, and adresses the issues they raised. The first phase resulted in a large, temperature-dependent bias drift in the insensitive design and a temperature regulation scheme.

Uemaatsu, Hirohiko↗
NASA NTRS1996

Two-Photon Entanglement and EPR Experiments Using Type-2 Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion

Simultaneous entanglement in spin and space-time of a two-photon quantum state generated in type-2 spontaneous parametric down-conversion is demonstrated by the observation of quantum interference with 98% visibility in a simple beam-splitter (Hanburry Brown-Twiss) anticorrelation experiment. The nonlocal cancellation of two-photon probability amplitudes as a result of this double entanglement allows us to demonstrate two different types of Bell's inequality violations in one experimental setup.

Sergienko, A. V.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Modeling of micro thrusters for gravity probe B

The concept of testing Einstein's general theory of relativity by means of orbiting gyroscopes was first proposed in 1959, which lead to the development of the Gravity Probe B experiment. Einstein's theory concerns the predictions of the relativistic precession of a gyroscope in orbit around earth. According to his theory, there will be two precessions due to the warping of space-time by the earth's gravitational field: the geodetic precession in the plane of the orbit, and the frame-dragging effect, in the direction of earth rotation. For a polar orbit, these components are orthogonal. In order to simplify the measurement of the precessions, Gravity Probe B (GP-B) will be placed in a circular polar orbit at 650 km, for which the predicted precessions will be 6.6 arcsec/year (geodetic) and 42 milli-arcsec/year (frame-dragging). As the gyroscope precesses, the orientation of its spin-axis will be measured with respect to the line-of-sight to Rigel, a star whose proper motion is known to be within the required accuracy. The line-of-sight to Rigel will be established using a telescope, and the orientation of the gyroscope spin axis will be measured using very sensitive SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) magnetometers. The four gyroscopes will be coated with niobium. Below 2K, the niobium becomes superconducting and a dipole field will be generated which is precisely aligned with the gyroscope spin-axis. The change in orientation of these fields, as well as the spin-axis, is sensed by the SQUID magnetometers. In order to attain the superconducting temperatures for the gyroscopes and the SQUID's, the experiment package will be housed in a dewar filled with liquid helium. The helium flow through a GP-B micro thruster and into a vacuum is investigated using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method.

Jones, Kenneth M.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Dynamics of Superfluid Helium in Low-Gravity

This report summarizes the work performed under a contract entitled 'Dynamics of Superfluid Helium in Low Gravity'. This project performed verification tests, over a wide range of accelerations of two Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes of which one incorporates the two-fluid model of superfluid helium (SFHe). Helium was first liquefied in 1908 and not until the 1930s were the properties of helium below 2.2 K observed sufficiently to realize that it did not obey the ordinary physical laws of physics as applied to ordinary liquids. The term superfluidity became associated with these unique observations. The low temperature of SFHe and it's temperature unifonrmity have made it a significant cryogenic coolant for use in space applications in astronomical observations with infrared sensors and in low temperature physics. Superfluid helium has been used in instruments such as the Shuttle Infrared Astronomy Telescope (IRT), the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), the Cosmic Background Observatory (COBE), and the Infrared Satellite Observatory (ISO). It is also used in the Space Infrared Telescope (SIRTF), Relativity Mission Satellite formally called Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), and the Test of the Equivalence Principle (STEP) presently under development. For GP-B and STEP, the use of SFHE is used to cool Superconducting Quantum Interference Detectors (SQUIDS) among other parts of the instruments. The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) experiment flown in the Shuttle studied the behavior of SFHE. This experiment attempted to get low-gravity slosh data, however, the main emphasis was to study the low-gravity transfer of SFHE from tank to tank. These instruments carried tanks of SFHE of a few hundred liters to 2500 liters. The capability of modeling the behavior of SFHE is important to spacecraft control engineers who must design systems that can overcome disturbances created by the movement of the fluid. In addition instruments such as GP-B and STEP are very sensitive to quasi-steady changes in the mass distribution of the liquid. The CFD codes were used to model the fluid's dynamic motion. Tests in one-g were performed with the main emphasis on being able to compute the actual damping of the fluid. A series of flights on the NASA Lewis reduced gravity DC-9 aircraft were performed with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Low Temperature Flight Facility and a superfluid Test Cell. The data at approximately 0.04g, lg and 2g were used to determine if correct fundamental frequencies can be predicted based on the acceleration field. Tests in zero gravity were performed to evaluate zero gravity motion.

Frank, David J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

A New Small Nano-Kelvin Resolution Thermometer for Low Temperature Experiments

A small, high resolution paramagnetic susceptibility thermometer was developed using a GdCl3 paramagnetic salt. The device uses a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) magnetometer to determine the temperature dependent magnetization of the salt in a magnetic field. The magnetic field is provided by a pair of small samarium cobalt permanent magnet disks situated inside the thermometer housing. The eliminates the need for a heavy, charging solenoid used in a conventional SQUID based magnetic thermometer system. This thermometer can resolve approximately 10 (exp -9)K near the liquid-gas critical point of He-3(approximately 3.31K). The drift rate of the thermometer was measured to be less than 2 x 10 (exp -13) K per second. This light weight thermometer (approximately 7 g) is a candidate for use in future low temperature Space Shuttle and International Space Station experiments. The present thermometer design easily permits a variety of magnetic materials for use in other applications.

Welander, Paul↗