Magnetic Imaging with High Spatial Resolution Using a Single Niobium-Nitride-Based Three-Dimensional Nanobridge Junction
Abstract
The nanobridge junctions (NBJs) allow the miniaturization of the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) and improve the spatial resolution of scanning SQUID microscopy. However, the SQUID loop diameter imposed a fundamental limit on the resolution. In this work, we proposed a single niobium-nitride-based three-dimensional nanobridge junction (NbN-3D-NBJ) alternative to the nanoSQUID for high-resolution magnetic imaging. The critical current of an NbN-3D-NBJ showed an nearly monotonic dependence on the external magnetic field, enabling nanoscale mapping of the magnetic field distribution by measuring the junction's critical current with an intrinsic noise level of 100 nT/Hz^1/2. Using a NbN-3D-NBJ probe, we successfully imaged an Abrikosov vortex in a niobium film with a minimal full width at half maxima (FWHM) of 530 nm, constrained by the distance from the junction to the probe tip edge. Furthermore, we resolved 80 nm spacings between the superconducting nanowires utilizing a second probe with an optimized junction-to-tip distance. Thus, the single 3D NbN NBJ probe has been demonstrated as an effective approach for magnetic imaging with ultra-high spatial resolution.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{pan2026magnetic,
title = {{Magnetic Imaging with High Spatial Resolution Using a Single Niobium-Nitride-Based Three-Dimensional Nanobridge Junction}},
author = {Yinping Pan and Yue Wang and Xinxin Fan and Xu Liu and Shirui Liu and Xiaoyu Liu and Ling Wu and Lu Zhang and Wei Peng and Jie Ren and Jiamin Xiong and Hao Li and Lixing You and Zhen Wang and Lei Chen},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.36856},
eprint = {2610.36856},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.36856},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Magnetic Imaging with High Spatial Resolution Using a Single Niobium-Nitride-Based Three-Dimensional Nanobridge Junction
AU - Yinping Pan
AU - Yue Wang
AU - Xinxin Fan
AU - Xu Liu
AU - Shirui Liu
AU - Xiaoyu Liu
AU - Ling Wu
AU - Lu Zhang
AU - Wei Peng
AU - Jie Ren
AU - Jiamin Xiong
AU - Hao Li
AU - Lixing You
AU - Zhen Wang
AU - Lei Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.36856
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.36856
AB - The nanobridge junctions (NBJs) allow the miniaturization of the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) and improve the spatial resolution of scanning SQUID microscopy. However, the SQUID loop diameter imposed a fundamental limit on the resolution. In this work, we proposed a single niobium-nitride-based three-dimensional nanobridge junction (NbN-3D-NBJ) alternative to the nanoSQUID for high-resolution magnetic imaging. The critical current of an NbN-3D-NBJ showed an nearly monotonic dependence on the external magnetic field, enabling nanoscale mapping of the magnetic field distribution by measuring the junction's critical current with an intrinsic noise level of 100 nT/Hz^1/2. Using a NbN-3D-NBJ probe, we successfully imaged an Abrikosov vortex in a niobium film with a minimal full width at half maxima (FWHM) of 530 nm, constrained by the distance from the junction to the probe tip edge. Furthermore, we resolved 80 nm spacings between the superconducting nanowires utilizing a second probe with an optimized junction-to-tip distance. Thus, the single 3D NbN NBJ probe has been demonstrated as an effective approach for magnetic imaging with ultra-high spatial resolution.
ER -