A multichannel double relaxation oscillation SQUID magnetometer system for magnetoencephalogram

We developed multichannel SQUID magnetometer and gradiometer systems based on double relaxation oscillation SQUIDs (DROS) for use in biomagnetic studies, such as magnetoencephalogram (MEG). DROS consists of two SQUIDs (signal SQUID and reference SQUID) in series, and a relaxation circuit of an inductor and a resistor. Specially, we used single reference junction instead of the reference SQUID. Since DROS magnetometer has about 10 times lager flux-to-voltage transfer coefficient than dc SQUID, we can use simple flux-locked loop electronics for SQUID operation. The measured noise at 100 Hz was 3 fT/√(Hz) for the magnetometer and 4 fT/√(Hz) for the planar gradiometer, which are low enough for neuromagnetic measurements. We also constructed two kinds of multichannel SQUID systems, 40-channel and 37-channel system. Using this system, we measured several MEG signals. (copyright 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)