Weizmann Institute scientists have taken a quantum leap toward understanding the phenomenon known as superconductivity: They have created the world's smallest SQUID -- a device used to measure magnetic fields -- which has broken the world record for sensitivity and resolution.
Superconductivity is a quantum phenomenon that only occurs when certain materials are cooled to extremely low temperatures. Then, they lose all resistance to the flow of electricity and expel the magnetic fields within them. Although used in everything from MRI scanners to particle accelerators, scientists still do not fully understand the physics that underlies the behavior of superconductors. Among other things, superconducting materials are found in the very SQUIDs used to measure superconducting properties: SQUID stands for Superconducting QUantum Interference Device.
Nano-SQUIDs are placed on probes to scan and measure the magnetic field at different points on a sample, forming an image of the entire surface -- a bit like creating a heat map of a hand by measuring its temperature at individual points on the fingers and palms.
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