High-Tc SQUIDs for magnetophysiology - development of a magnetometer system and measurements of evoked fields from hippocampal neurons in vitro
Doctoral thesis, 2006

This thesis concerns development of a system based on a high-transition-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (high-Tc SQUID) magnetometer. The system has been designed and used for magnetic field recordings from brain slices, i.e. magnetophysiology. Magnetophysiology is a complementary method to electrophysiology, which is routinely used today. One aim of magnetophysiology is to aid in the assessment of the full nature of the signals in magnetoencephalography (MEG), which is a method for multi-channel whole-head recordings of magnetic fields from the brain. Dipole models of post-synaptic currents have been used to determine the magnetic fields above hippocampal slices. These simulations indicate that a high-Tc SQUID system with a sensor-to-sample separation as small as 65 µm would have superior signal-to-noise ratio compared with the low-Tc SQUID systems previously used elsewhere. A directly-coupled magnetometer with a side length of 2~mm has been fabricated from a YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin film. The large input washer was composed of strips of 5 µm width in order to prevent flux-trapping. The magnetic field noise of the magnetometer was 0.75 pT/Hz1/2 and the effective area was 0.071 mm2. A successful method has been developed for the ∼20 min transportation of the slices to the measurement lab. Evoked magnetic fields from transverse hippocampal slices from rats have been recorded. The magnetic fields were ∼5 pT and showed a high correlation with the excitatory post-synaptic potential measured in close connection to the magnetic field recordings. With further development of the system, it may be possible to verify a higher signal-to-noise ratio than experienced in low-Tc SQUID systems. This would enable fewer averages, resulting in shorter experiments. Magnetic field studies of less dense brain structures than the hippocampus could be possible.

neuromagnetism

brain slice

neurophysiology

electrophysiology

hippocampus

biomagnetism

SQUID

13.00 Kollektorn (A423), MC2, Kemivägen 9, Chalmers
Opponent: Dr.sc.nat. Thomas Schurig, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany

Author

Per Magnelind

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Quantum Device Physics

Subject Categories

Physical Sciences

ISBN

91-7291-801-2

Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 2483

Technical report MC2 - Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology: 60

13.00 Kollektorn (A423), MC2, Kemivägen 9, Chalmers

Opponent: Dr.sc.nat. Thomas Schurig, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany

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Created

10/8/2017