ABSTRACT

Much has been written, in this book and elsewhere, about the extreme sensitivity attainable with devices based on superconducting electronics. Anyone who has attempted to make use of this unequalled sensitivity will know that the gulf between first attempts and final success is often considerable. This generally arises from a lack of appreciation of the essential precautions needed to shield the squid from extraneous interference and noise, precautions which far exceed what is necessary with less sensitive conventional electronics. As a realistic counterweight to the somewhat rose-coloured view which earlier chapters may have given, we will try to give some practical hints on how to make real measurements in real environments with squid systems.