SKIFFS: Superconducting Kinetic Inductance Field-Frequency Sensors for sensitive magnetometry in moderate background magnetic fields

Publication Year
2018

Type

Journal Article
Journal
Applied Physics Letters
Volume
113
Pages
172601
ISSN Number
00036951

We describe sensitive magnetometry using lumped-element resonators fabricated from a supercon- ducting thin film of NbTiN. Taking advantage of the large kinetic inductance of the superconduc- tor, we demonstrate a continuous resonance frequency shift of 27MHz for a change in the magnetic field of 1.8lT within a perpendicular background field of 60mT. By using phase- sensitive readout of microwaves transmitted through the sensors, we measure phase shifts in real time with a sensitivity of 1􏰀/nT. We present measurements of the noise spectral density of the sen- sors and find that their field sensitivity is at least within one to two orders of magnitude of super- conducting quantum interference devices operating with zero background field. Our superconducting kinetic inductance field-frequency sensors enable real-time magnetometry in the presence of moderate perpendicular background fields up to at least 0.2 T. Applications for our sen- sors include the stabilization of magnetic fields in long coherence electron spin resonance measure- ments and quantum computation.