High-Q Magnetic Levitation and Control of Superconducting Microspheres at Millikelvin Temperatures.

We report the levitation of a superconducting lead-tin sphere with 100 µm diameter (corresponding to a mass of 5.6 µg) in a static magnetic trap formed by two coils in an anti-Helmholtz configuration, with adjustable resonance frequencies up to 240 Hz. The center-of-mass motion of the sphere is monitored magnetically using a dc superconducting quantum interference device as well as optically and exhibits quality factors of up to 2.6×10^{7}. We also demonstrate 3D magnetic feedback control of the motion of the sphere. The setup is housed in a dilution refrigerator operating at 15 mK. By implementing a cryogenic vibration isolation system, we can attenuate environmental vibrations at 200 Hz by approximately 7 orders of magnitude. The combination of low temperature, large mass, and high quality factor provides a promising platform for testing quantum physics in previously unexplored regimes with high mass and long coherence times.

Reversal mechanism of an individual Ni nanotube simultaneously studied by torque and SQUID magnetometry.

Using an optimally coupled nanometer-scale SQUID, we measure the magnetic flux originating from an individual ferromagnetic Ni nanotube attached to a Si cantilever. At the same time, we detect the nanotube's volume magnetization using torque magnetometry. We observe both the predicted reversible and irreversible reversal processes. A detailed comparison with micromagnetic simulations suggests that vortexlike states are formed in different segments of the individual nanotube. Such stray-field free states are interesting for memory applications and noninvasive sensing.