Ultrasensitive magnetic field detection is utilized in the fields of science, medicine and industry. We report on a novel magnetometer relying on the kinetic inductance of superconducting material. The kinetic inductance exhibits a non-linear response with respect to DC current, a fact that is exploited by applying magnetic flux through a superconducting loop to generate a shielding current and a change in the inductance of the loop. The magnetometer is arranged into a resonator, allowing readout through a transmission measurement that makes the device compatible with radio frequency multiplexing techniques. The device is fabricated using a single thin-film layer of NbN, simplifying the fabrication process compared to existing magnetometer technologies considerably. Our experimental data, supported by theory, demonstrates a magnetometer having potential to replace established technology in applications requiring ultra-high sensitivity.
@article{arxiv.1401.0668,
title = {Kinetic Inductance Magnetometer},
author = {Juho Luomahaara and Visa Vesterinen and Leif Grönberg and Juha Hassel},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1401.0668},
year = {2014}
}