English

Nanoscale wireframe SQUID on a cantilever by corner lithography

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2026-01-19 v1

Abstract

We present the fabrication of nanoscale superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) at the apex of wireframe tips on self-aligned superconducting cantilever probes. The probes are made on silicon wafers using molding techniques in combination with corner lithography, which results in a nanowire frame tip with a tuneable apex structure. A shadow effect deposition using magnetron sputtering of Nb creates self-aligned superconducting wireframes on cantilevers with accompanying device circuitry. Superconducting weak links are realized at the apex of the wireframes with the use of focused ion beam nanopatterning. The realized SQUIDs have effective diameters ranging from several micrometers down to 100 nm and can be operated in magnetic fields up to 1 T. Furthermore, the nanowires in the wireframe can be used to flux modulate the SQUID locally. This fabrication process enables the production of wafer-scale templates for probes based on on-tip superconducting devices.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2601.11331,
  title  = {Nanoscale wireframe SQUID on a cantilever by corner lithography},
  author = {Thijs J. Roskamp and Tim Horstink and Melissa J Goodwin and Erwin Berenschot and Edin Sarajilic and Roeland Huijink and Niels Tas and Hans Hilgenkamp},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.11331},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

12 pages, 5 figures

R2 v1 2026-07-01T09:07:39.283Z