Design and performance of multiloop and washer SQUIDs intended for sub-kelvin operation

We have developed a set of dc SQUIDs intended for frequency-domain multiplexed readout of transition edge sensor (TES) arrays. The first design is based on the Ketchen-style washer, and has exhibited a 1.2 × 10 −7 Φ 0 Hz 1/2 flux noise both at 4.2 and 0.43 K. The second design is based on the multiloop structure and utilizes the spoke-terminating resistors which double as junction shunts in order to minimize the excess noise due to the resonance damping. The multiloop device has exhibited a 3.5 × 10 −7 Φ 0 Hz 1/2 flux noise level at 4.2 K. The mutual inductances are chosen such that a typical ac-biased TES-based x-ray calorimeter would need only a moderate amount of negative feedback in order to handle the dynamic range of the signal.