SITIS Topic Details |
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| Proposals Accepted: | |
| Program: | STTR |
| Topic Number: | AF10-BT40 (AirForce) |
| Title: | High frequency (HF) direction-finding (DF) system based on an array of high-Tc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) | Research & Technical Areas: | Sensors |
| Objective: | To develop a compact airborne, HF (3-30 MHz), direction-finding system based on a high-Tc SQUID array.
| Description: | Current techniques for direction finding (DF) of signals in the high frequency (HF) band (3 to 30 MHz) require multiple antennas with a size that is a significant fraction of the incident wavelength, and that are separated by a distance comparable to the incident wavelength. For frequencies of 3 MHz and 30 MHz this wavelength is 100 and 10 meters respectively. It is not feasible to deploy such large systems on mobile platforms, such as autonomous vehicles and planes, because their dimensions are typically smaller than the wavelength of interest, particularly at the low end of the HF band. One possible approach to obtain smaller DF systems is to use high-transition temperature (high-TC) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array sensors [1] to detect the magnetic fields associated with incident signals. These sensors could yield a substantial improvement in sensitivity so that the size and spacing of the antennas could be reduced. The advantage of using an array of SQUIDs, as opposed to a single SQUID, is that in a current-biased array the voltage signal increases as the number of SQUIDS in the array (N) but the noise only increases as the square root of N. Therefore as N becomes larger the signal-to-noise ratio increases as the square root of N. Recently, a great deal of progress has been made in the fabrication of very large scale SQUID arrays, using high-transition temperature ion-damage Josephson junctions [2, 3]. Specifically, researchers have shown that it was possible to fabricate arrays containing over 12,000 SQUIDS with good uniformity of the devices [2]. Incorporating these arrays into the receiver of a DF system could yield significant improvements over current systems and improve signal intelligence (SIGINT) in the HF band.
| PHASE I: Determine potential improvement of DF capability by using a high-Tc ion damage SQUID array based receiver. Include fabrication and measurement of the noise properties for a high-Tc ion-damage junction SQUID array. Investigation possible 3-30MHz DF antenna designs for coupling it to the SQUID array.
| PHASE II: Build a prototype DF system based on a high-TC SQUID array, and evaluate its performance, by testing it in the 3-30 MHz range.
| PHASE III | DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION:
Military Application: Microwave Communication Systems for ISR.
Commercial Application: Magnetometer technology, such as satellite communications and biomagnetic detectors for magnetocardiography (MCG) [1].
| References: | 1. High-transition-temperature superconducting quantum interference devices, D. Koelle, R. Kleiner, F. Ludwig, E. Dantsker, and John Clarke, Rev. Mod. Phys. 71, 631 (1999). 2. Very Large Scale Integration of Nanopatterned YBa2Cu3O7-d Josephson Junctions in a Two-Dimensional Array, Shane A. Cybart, Steven M. Anton, Stephen M. Wu, John Clarke, Robert C. Dynes, Nano Letters 2009 9 (10), 3581-3585. 3. Series array of incommensurate superconducting quantum interference devices from YBa2Cu3O7-d ion damage Josephson junctions, Shane A. Cybart, S. M. Wu, S. M. Anton, I. Siddiqi, John Clarke, and R. C. Dynes, Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 182502 (2008). |
| Keywords: | SQUID, DF-antena, direction-finding-system |
Questions and Answers: |
Q: Recently the maximum Phase I award has incrased from 100K to 150K. Is the newly increased 150K Phase I award amount justifiable to write in a proposal to satisfy this particular solicitation? |
A: You have posted a non-technical question which does not address the topic requirements. Please refer to the detailed instructions contained in the STTR 10.B Solicitation documents available on our website which provides detailed information on funding levels. |
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