Physically Small Superconducting Antennas

This proposal presents a feasibility study and design of a small high temperature superconducting (HTS) antenna employing SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices) technology that serve to target origination of RF energy and therefore provide accurate direction finding in a dense interference environment. The technical objectives are to design a HTS antenna that employs Josephson Junction SQUIDs. 3 devices will be formulated under this proposal for accomplishing the objective of locating RF emanation and directional finding operation in a dense environment scenario. These devices are: 1. Single SQUID Magnetometer, 2. Multiple SQUID Magnetometer, and 3. Small HTS SQUID Antenna.The HTS-SQUID antenna design concept is to use three co-located loops orthogonal superconductor loop antennas with a common center point, each connected to suitable signal processors. These processors would analyze and calculate the signals received by each of the three antennas. By measuring Hx, Hy and Hz of an incoming signal, one can deduce the amplitude and direction of arrival of the incoming signal. The concept is that the three orthogonal loops would occupy a much smaller volume, in the range of several cm. on each edge and thus could be deployed on an airborne platform.