Sensitive Un-Cooled Magnetometer Developed
“The most sensitive of commercially-available magnetometers, called Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) can measure extremely small magnetic fields, such as the flux or force of magnetism on a single human red blood cell with a diameter about 7 microns. In practice, this level of sensitivity is only possible at the temperature where liquid helium boils, 455 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, limiting the applications in which they can be used. This magnetometer prototype, which incorporates Bell Labs-designed micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), requires no cooling to achieve very high magnetic sensitivity. Additionally, as the sensing component is manufactured through a silicon-based process, production costs are expected to be significantly lower than with traditional magnetometers.”
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“This is a disruptive technology,” said Ron Durando, CEO, mPhase Technologies. “These magnetometers can be used in metal detection and perimeter security applications for defense and homeland security. They can also be used in healthcare systems and retail security detection like RFID tags.”
