30-tesla graphene magnetic sensor comes in 3mm package

Paragraf Ltd. (Somersham, England) has announced a family of cryogenic graphene-based Hall effect magnetic field sensors offered in 3mm by 3mm packages with an accompanying compatible data acquisition unit.

Cryogenic graphene Hall effect sensors (GHS) take advantage of graphene’s superior thermal robustness and have a wide range of uses in quantum computing, particle accelerators and medical equipment. Graphene also enables magnetic sensing across a wide range of field strengths, so they can be used to detect stray fields that can disrupt operation of quantum computers, as well as to calibrate the magnets used to manipulate particles in high energy particle accelerators.

Paragraf originally launched a GHS optimised for cryogenic applications in June 2021. This measured fields up to 7 Tesla (T) at temperatures down to 3 Kelvin (K) and was supplied in a 9 mm square package.

The new range of sensors suitable for these environments, available at the company online store, come in a smaller, 3mm by 3mm package, operate up to 30T, and down to millikelvin temperatures. They are differentiated by the applications that they are optimised for:

GHS-X01 is optimised for operation in extremely large fields of over 30T, such as those produced by the cryogenically cooled magnets in nuclear fusion reactors, designed to contain plasma that is hotter than the sun.

GHS-X03, an ultra-sensitive model optimized for small magnetic fields, being used in environments such as quantum computers to detect microtesla changes affecting processes at fractions of a degree above absolute zero, improving error mitigation.

GHS-X02 which combines high sensitivity with a broad dynamic range from low to reasonably high fields, being used in particle accelerators and MRI manufacturing to characterize magnets being produced at high resolution.

The current models are provided on a 200mm flexible PCB for integration into a range of these systems.

The MiST unit offers users the best readings from our range of sensors, with configurability over the data acquisition and signal processing. This enables users to experience the full benefit of our graphene-based magnetic field sensors in a range of environments from room temperature all the way down to almost absolute zero. Online MiST orders include a test probe which also serves as a reference design for connecting the cryogenic sensors to the unit.

“The launch of Paragraf’s online store has served to introduce our GFET to global research and commercial markets,” said, Peter Davies, Paragraf’s commercial director, in a statement. “Being able to sell our GHS product line alongside the GFET in the store demonstrates further our ability to deliver a graphene-based electronics future,” he added.