Dr Boris Chesca

  • Visiting Fellow in Superconducting Technology
  • PG Admissions Tutor
  • PG/UG Programme Director
Publications
Boris Chesca
  • University Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, from 2006 until present
  • University Professor Degree (German Habilitation, the highest postdoctoral academic qualification), June 2004, Solid State Physics Department, Institute of Physics, Tübingen University, Germany; Subject: High-Tc cuprates: phase-sensitive tests of the pairing symmetry and influence of large thermal fluctuations on SQUIDs.
  • University Lecturer, Solid State Physics Department, Institute of Physics, Tübingen University, Germany, 2000-2006
  • Postdoc, Center for Electronic Correlations and Magnetism, Institute of Physics, Augsburg University, Germany, 1998-2000
  • Postdoctoral Humboldt Fellow, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, 1996-1998
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Theoretical Physics, 1995, Frank Lab. of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia; Subject: Superconducting quantum interference devices: non-linear physics and sensitive magnetic sensors.
  • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Physics, 1991 University of Physics and Technological Physics, Bucharest, Romania; Subject: Ultrasound sensors for non-destructive evaluation.

Enterprise awards

2017, Best enterprise newcomer in the School of Science, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.

Teaching Awards

  • 2017, Most Engaging Lecturer;
  • 2016, Most Engaging Lecturer;
  • 2015, Best All-Rounder Lecturer in Physics, You‘re a º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Legend award;
  • 2014, Most Engaging Lecturer, Best Module Structure;
  • 2012, Most Engaging Lecturer.

Superconductivity: fundamentals and applications

1. Analytical theory/Modeling as well as Design/Fabrication/Measurements of Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs), Josephson junction arrays for applications in:

  • medicine (magnethoencephalography-MEG, magnetocardiography-MCG, SQUID-based ultra-low field-MRI, magnetic marker monitoring, magnetic immunoassay analyser, liver imaging, superparamagnetic relaxometry (SPMR) cancer detection);
  • physics (magnetometers, X-ray and neutron detectors, neutron diffraction experiments);
  • electronics (amplifiers, microwave and terahertz receivers and generators);
  • Quantum physics and quantum computation.

2. Deposition and characterization of superconducting thin film and their applications (superconducting devices, particle accelerators).

Experiment

  • Materials: cuprates, low-Tc superconductors, magnetic materials, etc.
  • Fabrication: Josephson junctions/arrays, SQUIDs
  • Measurements: electric transport (dc, high frequency) at low temperatures: (1-300) K, magnetic fields: (0-9) T.
  • Physics: Josephson effect, Andreev reflection, Unconventional superconducting order parameter spin polarization transport in junctions Sine-Gordon non-linear dynamics, phase-locking, device physics.

Theory

  • Non-linear dynamics. Analytics: Fokker-Planck equations, thermally activated phenomena. Numerics: sine-Gordon equations
  • Density of states calculations

Selected publications

Contributions to Books

  • B. Chesca, D. Koelle, and R. Kleiner, SQUID Theory, in The SQUID Handbook: Fundamentals and Technology of SQUIDs and SQUID Systems, Eds. John Clarke and Alex Braginski (John Wiles & Sons, Inc.), 29-92 (2004).
  • M. Mück, B. Chesca, and Y. Zhang, Radio Frequency SQUIDs and Their Applications, NATO  Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on Microwave Superconductivity, Ed. Harold Weinstock, 505- 540 (2000).

Articles

  • B. Chesca, D. John, R. Cantor, SQUID-arrays coupled to on-chip integrated thin-film superconducting input coils operating coherently, Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 042601 (2021).
  • D. Castelvecchi and B. Chesca, Superconducting sensors warm up, Nature, Research Highlights 526, 613 (2015).
  • B. Chesca, D. John and C.J. Mellor,  Flux-coherent series SQUID array magnetometers operating above 77K with superior white flux noise than single-SQUIDs at 4.2 K, Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 162602 (2015).
  • B. Chesca, K.Ehrhardt, M. Mößle, R. Straub, D. Koelle, R. Kleiner, and A. Tsukada, Magnetic Field Dependence of the Maximum Supercurrent of La2-xCexCuO4-y Interferometers: Evidence for a Predominant dx2-y2  Superconducting Order Parameter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 057004 (2003).
  • B. Chesca, R.R. Schulz, B.Goetz, C.W. Schneider, H. Hilgenkamp, and J. Mannhart , d-wave induced zero-field resonances in dc π-superconducting quantum interference devices, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 177003 (2002).
  • R.R. Schulz, B. Chesca, B. Goetz, C.W. Schneider, A. Schmehl, H. Bielefeldt, H. Hilgenkamp, J. Mannhart, and C.C.Tsuei, Design and Realization of an all d-wave dc π-SQUID, Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 912-914 (2000).
  • B. Chesca, Analytical theory of DC SQUIDS operating in the presence of thermal fluctuations, J. Low Temp. Phys. 112, 165-196 (1998).
  • B. Chesca, Theory of RF SQUIDS operating in the presence of large thermal fluctuations, J.Low Temp. Phys. 110, 963-1002 (1998).