Flux-locked current source reference

The quantization of flux in a closed superconducting circuit is used to provide a stable reference current. A 10-mA current source is coupled through a toroidal transformer to a DC superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) input, and the resulting signal is fed back as an error current. The result is a net flux linkage that exhibits short-term stability of 1 part in 10⁹/h. The net current is quantized with a step size of 59.4 nA, and it will exhibit the same stability as the flux provided the mutual inductance of the transformer remains constant. This current is passed through a precise 100-Ω resistor and compared against Zener diode references. The observed temperature coefficient for the flux transformer is 28.5±3 ppm/K at 4.2 K. Possible sources for the temperature dependence are discussed