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PSIM simulations of a dc SQUID magnetometer

Kehinde Ogunyanda (Department of Electrical Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Johannesburg, South Africa)
Wilfred Fritz (Department of Electrical Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa)
Robert van Zyl (Department of Electrical Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa)

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology

ISSN: 1726-0531

Article publication date: 5 May 2015

219

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to report the modelling and simulation work that predicts the behaviours of both a Josephson junction (JJ) and a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). It is pertinent to predict the SQUID magnetometers’ behaviours via simulations, before subjecting them to real experiments because they are quite expensive to acquire, and can be easily damaged during test analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this, power simulation (PSIM) was used to model and simulate a JJ, using the basic equation that describes the effective current through it. A dc SQUID magnetometer, which is composed of two JJs, was then modelled and simulated using the modelled JJ. Thermal noise simulation is also included, to observe its effects on the magnetometer’s output. A directly coupled flux-locked loop circuit was later included in the simulation to amplify and linearise the SQUID’s output, which is usually sinusoidal.

Findings

When steady bias currents were applied to the JJ, the resulting voltage across it was seen to oscillate. The JJ’s and SQUID’s voltage–current characteristics, and voltage–flux characteristics were also observed in the simulations, and the results respectively agree with the behaviours of a typical JJ and dc SQUID magnetometer.

Originality/value

A way of simulating SQUIDs, without a superconducting simulation tool, is presented. The work provides a much simpler way of studying the behaviour of dc SQUID magnetometers, due to the easy accessibility and fast simulation capability of the software used, with an added advantage of being able to simulate the thermal noise effects, without having to import this facility from secondary software.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

I want to appreciate the National Research Foundation, and the Department of Science and Technology for the bursary awarded me during the course of this research.

Citation

Ogunyanda, K., Fritz, W. and van Zyl, R. (2015), "PSIM simulations of a dc SQUID magnetometer", Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 298-314. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEDT-02-2013-0014

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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