A low-frequency superconductor oscillator with a 10^10-quality factor

TL;DR

This paper proposes a simple superconductor-based oscillator with an extremely high quality factor, potentially enabling ultra-precise measurements of static force variations akin to SQUIDs but for gravitational fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel low-frequency superconductor oscillator design with a predicted quality factor of 10^10-10^11, comparable to optical microcavities.

Findings

Quality factor could reach 10^10-10^11

Oscillator capable of measuring minute force variations

Potential for new gravitational measurement tools

Abstract

This letter describes a very simple electromechanical oscillator, consisting of a strong-pinning Nb-Ti superconductor loop subjected to static magnetic fields. A detailed calculation of the losses occurring during its low-frequency oscillations is carried out. The conclusion is that the quality factor for such oscillator might reach the 10^10-10^11 range, something comparable only to the best optical microcavities. Such device might permit the measurement of variations in static forces with the same precision a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measures variations of magnetic field, providing a new tool for probing minute variations of the gravitational field. for instance.