Low-Temperature Experimental Physics and Applied Physics, including SQUID-based magnetic measurement, low-temperature magnetic detectors, superfluid helium, magnetic thermometry, and cooling technology.

Research Topics

Low-Temperature Magnetic Detectors

Current research in collaboration with STAR Cryoelectronics. Shown here is the new layout for the miniature SQUID-based magnetic gradiometer with integral magnetizing field coils and persistence switch. This new superconducting microdevice is one of several used to study the temperature-dependent magnetization of very small samples ~50 micron. Pads for the electrical connections to the SQUID are on the right. The two large pads on the left are for the two spiral magnetizing field coils located in the middle of the chip, one centered over each pickup loop. The smaller pads on the left are for the persistence switch. The enlargement on the right shows a ~50u dia sample loaded into a pickup coil.

Recent Stuff:

• Development of a Precision Scanning Optical Pulser for Low-Temperature Particle Detectors (pdf preprint, 574.63 Kb), presented at the 2012 Applied Superconductivity Conference, Portland, Oct 7-12, 2012
• OpenSQUID: a flexible open-source software framework for the control of SQUID electronics (pdf preprint, 479.51 Kb), presented at the 2012 Applied Superconductivity Conference, Portland, Oct 7-12, 2012
• Dedicated Co-Deposition System for Metallic Paramagnetic Films (pdf preprint, 940.46 Kb), F. Jaeckel, V. Kotsubo, J. A. Hall, R. Cantor, and S. T. P. Boyd, presented at the 14th International Workshop on Low-Temperature Detectors, Heidelberg, August 1-6 2011.
• High Precision Optical Pulser Development (pdf, 1.52 Mb), , F Jaeckel and STP Boyd, presented at the 14th International Workshop on Low-Temperature Detectors, Heidelberg, August 1-6 2011.
• Signal Estimation for Thin-Film Magnetic Microcalorimeters with In-Plane Magnetization (pdf, 612.56 Kb), STP Boyd, FT Jaeckel, and RA Cantor, presented at the 2010 Applied Superconductivity Conference, Washington DC, August 1-6 2010.
• Microcalorimeter magnetic sensor geometries using superconducting elements (849.63 Kb), S. T. P. Boyd, R. H. Cantor, presented at the 13th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors, Stanford, July 20-24, 2009. AIP Conf. Proc. 1185, 595 (2009).
• Miniature Thin-Film SQUID Susceptometer for Magnetic Microcalorimetry and Thermometry, S. T. P. Boyd, Vincent Kotsubo, Robin Cantor, Alexander Theodorou, and J. Ad Hall, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 19 (3), 697-701, (June 2009), selected for early online publication in the European Superconductivity News Forum, available at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/tc/csc/europe/newsforum/pdf/Boyd_2EPE02.pdf).
• Characterization of a miniature thin-film SQUID susceptometer for metallic magnetic microcalorimetry, S.T.P. Boyd, R. Cantor, V. Kotsubo, P. Blumenfeld, J.A. Hall, J. Low Temp. Phys. 151, 369 (2008).
• Miniature Thin-Film Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Susceptometer, Robin Cantor, J. Ad Hall, Phil Blumenfeld, and Stephen T. P. Boyd, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity 17 (2), 738 (2007).

Teaching: Current MATLAB Class

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