The SQUID, or superconducting quantum interference device, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Developed at Ford Scientific Laboratories in the 1960s and further refined at NIST (formerly the National Bureau of Standards), SQUIDs are the world’s most sensitive magnetometers and powerful signal amplifiers. They have revolutionized fields like medicine, mining, cosmology, and materials analysis.
SQUIDs measure magnetic fields by exploiting quantum properties in superconducting circuits. They require cooling to cryogenic temperatures, typically below 4 kelvins (-269°C) with liquid helium. NIST has been a leader in SQUID development, inventing methods for wiring arrays of SQUID amplifiers and sensors.
Applications of NIST-developed SQUIDs include magnetoencephalography (MEG) for brain imaging, magnetocardiography (MCG) for heart monitoring, and astronomical observations. The devices have been used in over 10 telescopes worldwide and are employed in security imaging and X-ray materials analysis.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2014/03/magnetic-attraction-physicists-pay-homage-squid-50
Keywords: SQUID, Magnetometers, Amplifiers, Quantum, Superconducting
