Magnetic flux noise in thin-film rings of YBa2Cu3O7-δ

The low-frequency magnetic flux noise in thin-film rings of YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) is measured over the temperature range 1.3–125 K by means of a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) maintained at liquid-helium temperatures. Below the transition temperature Tc of the YBCO, the spectral density of the noise scales as 1/f, where f is the frequency, and generally increases with increasing temperature. The magnitude of the noise depends strongly on the microstructure of the film, and is lowest for a sample which is predominantly oriented with its c axis perpendicular to the substrate. These results imply that SQUID’s and flux transformers of YBCO must be fabricated from highly oriented films to produce good resolution at low frequencies.