What STAR Cryoelectronics does

STAR Cryoelectronics is a privately held New Mexico limited liability company headquartered in Santa Fe that designs, manufactures, and markets ultra-sensitive superconducting sensor systems, superconducting X-ray detectors, cryogenic instrumentation, and related thin-film foundry services. Founded in April 1999 by Dr. Robin Cantor—a former technical staff member at Los Alamos National Laboratory and former Manager of the SQUID Technology Group at Conductus Inc. (now Superconductor Technologies)—the company's core product lines include LTS and HTS dc SQUID sensors (current sensors, magnetometers, vector magnetometers, planar and axial gradiometers); PC-based SQUID control electronics marketed under the pcSQUID™ trade name; cryogen-free Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR) cryostats (DRC-100, DRC-200) with sub-50 mK base temperatures and hold times exceeding 60 hours; and Superconducting Tunnel Junction (STJ) and Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimeter X-ray detectors and spectrometers. The company holds sole-commercial-source positions in STJ and TES microcalorimeter X-ray detectors and in superconducting microcal spectrometers for X-ray microanalysis (MICA-1600).

The company's underlying technology is built on Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb trilayer Josephson junction fabrication supported by an LTS/HTS foundry service capable of processing 150-mm-diameter wafers with up to three Nb wiring layers and AuPd resistors. Its sub-brands include pcSQUID™ (industry-standard PC-based SQUID control electronics positioned as the standard since 1996) and Mr. SQUID® (an HTS-based educational demonstration system sold to over 400 colleges and universities worldwide since 1992). Its STJ Spectrometer for Soft X-ray beamlines won the 2014 R&D 100 Award. The company represents Ceraco ceramic coating GmbH as the exclusive North American distributor of HTS thin films and collaborates with XIA LLC on STJ detector electronics and pulse-processing hardware.

The business operates a B2B sales-led model with quote-based pricing handled from Santa Fe and regional channel partners for international distribution—Cryoandmore GbR for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France; TransEra Systems for India; and Elminet Corporation for Japan. The customer base is concentrated in U.S. and international national laboratories (Los Alamos, Argonne, Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge, Brookhaven, JPL, Berkeley Lab, NIST, NASA, CNRS, INFN, DESY, CSIRO, KRISS), research universities (Harvard, Caltech, ASU, Nanyang Technological University, KAIST), and a small set of industrial buyers including quantum-computing firm D-Wave, Bruker, and Thales Alenia. Headcount is stated at 1–10 employees and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

STAR Cryoelectronics

Legal name

STAR Cryoelectronics

Website

https://starcryo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STAR Cryoelectronics is a privately held Santa Fe, New Mexico-based supplier of superconducting SQUID sensors, pcSQUID readout electronics, cryogen-free ADR cryostats, and STJ/TES X-ray microcalorimeter detectors for national laboratories, universities, and synchrotron facilities worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Superconducting Sensors and Cryogenic Instrumentation

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing (334413), Capacitor, Resistor, Coil, Transformer, and Other Inductor Manufacturing (334416), Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Calibration, Characterization & Test Instrumentation (Cryo/RF) (HDAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cryogenic Systems & Cryostats (HDAGABAA), Cryocoolers & Refrigeration Units (HDAGABAB), Low-Noise & Cryogenic Amplification (HEMT/LNA) (HDAGABAI), Cryogenic Wiring, Interconnects & RF Cabling (HDAGABAE)

Keywords

• SQUID sensors
• Cryogenic systems
• X-ray spectrometers
• Superconducting thin films
• Cryogen-free cryostats

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Fe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SQUID Sensors and Readout Electronics: Sales of ultra-sensitive SQUID sensors (LTS and HTS based), related PC-based SQUID control electronics (pcSQUID), and accessories including cryocables. Core hardware product line generating primary revenue.
2. Cryogenic Systems: Sales of ADR cryostats (cryogen-free models DRC-100 and DRC-200) and complete X-ray spectroscopy systems based on TES or STJ detectors.
3. X-ray Spectrometers: Sales of STJ X-ray spectrometers and MICA-1600 Microcal X-ray Spectrometers for synchrotron facilities and materials characterization.
4. Foundry Services: Custom superconducting thin-film device fabrication services for both LTS and HTS devices including design, fabrication, packaging, and testing.
5. Mr. SQUID Educational Products: Sales of Mr. SQUID educational demonstration systems and accessories (oscillators, flux-locked-loop modules, data acquisition software) to educational institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STAR Cryoelectronics manufactures and sells ultra-sensitive low-temperature (LTS) and high-temperature (HTS) superconducting SQUID sensors, pcSQUID control electronics, cryogen-free ADR cryostats, STJ and Microcal X-ray spectrometers, and custom superconducting thin-film foundry services. The company supplies physics research laboratories, universities, national labs, and industrial customers worldwide with superconducting instruments and components.

Product overview

STAR Cryoelectronics offers a comprehensive portfolio of superconducting technology products centered on SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) sensors and X-ray detection systems. The core product lines include LTS and HTS SQUID sensors with the lowest current noise commercially available, pcSQUID PC-based control electronics as an industry standard for nearly 20 years, STJ and TES microcalorimeter X-ray spectrometers for ultra-high energy resolution spectroscopy, and cryogen-free ADR cryostats. The company also provides custom foundry services for superconducting thin-film device fabrication using Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson junction processes. Supporting products include cryocables, cryogenic accessories, and the Mr. SQUID educational demonstration system for physics education. STAR Cryoelectronics is the only commercial source of STJ and TES microcalorimeter detectors for X-ray spectroscopy, and the exclusive manufacturer of the Mr. SQUID educational system sold to over 400 institutions worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• pcSQUID™: Advanced PC-based dc SQUID control electronics for SQUID sensor readout and control.
• Mr. SQUID®

Products and services

• MICA-1600 Microcal X-ray Spectrometer Complete cryogen-free microcalorimeter X-ray spectrometer with 160-pixel array delivering less than 10 eV FWHM energy resolution at 1 keV, designed for synchrotron beamlines and laboratory microanalysis.
• STJ X-ray Spectrometer Complete cryogen-free superconducting tunnel junction X-ray spectrometer system with single-pixel or 36-pixel options, delivering energy resolution as low as 12 eV FWHM at 1 keV.
• DRC-100 ADR Cryostat Single-stage cryogen-free Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator that cools to 100 mK base temperature with high cooling power, eliminating the need for liquid cryogens.
• DRC-200 ADR Cryostat Two-stage cryogen-free ADR system capable of holding two independent detectors at sub-Kelvin temperatures with high cooling power at 100 mK.
• pcSQUID Control Electronics Multi-channel SQUID readout electronics using the pcSQUID DSP-based flux-locked loop architecture, providing single-software-platform operation from 1 to 64 channels.
• LTS SQUID Sensors Low-temperature-superconductor SQUID sensors fabricated using Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb trilayer Josephson junction technology, including single-, double-, and multi-layer thin-film devices such as magnetometers, gradiometers, and amplifiers.
• HTS SQUID Sensors High-temperature-superconductor SQUID magnetometers and gradiometers based on YBCO step-edge junction technology that operate in liquid nitrogen.
• HTS Films High-temperature superconducting YBCO films grown on various substrates up to 2 inches in diameter for customer device fabrication.
• Cryocables STAR Cryocables low-noise cryogenic cabling for interconnecting cooled SQUID sensors and related electronics to room-temperature systems.
• Foundry Services Custom superconducting thin-film foundry service using a patented Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb Josephson junction process on up to 150 mm wafers, including LTS device fabrication, ion-milling mask design, and customer wafer runs.
• Mr. SQUID Educational Demonstration System Plug-and-play educational tabletop system that lets students run real SQUID measurements, designed for undergraduate physics and STEM teaching labs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy resolution better than 10 eV FWHM at 1.7 keV
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• XIA LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration for detector electronics and pulse-processing hardware for STJ detectors. XIA provides HTTP API for processor control enabling integration with beam line control software. Full computer control over detector biasing and tuning.
• Ceraco ceramic coating GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTAR Cryoelectronics is the exclusive North American representative for Ceraco, the world-market leader in high temperature superconducting (HTS) thin films. Also provides custom patterning, dicing, packaging, and testing services for HTS devices.
• Cryoandmore GbRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distribution partner covering Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Provides local sales, support, and customer service for European markets.
• TransEra Systems Pvt LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distributor for India. Provides local sales, support, and customer service for Indian market. Located in Chennai.
• Elminet CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional distributor for Japan. Provides local sales, support, and customer service for Japanese market. Located in Tokyo.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oxford Instruments NanoScience: Oxford Instruments NanoScience is a large-scale manufacturer of dilution refrigerators and cryogenic systems for quantum computing and low-temperature physics research. Overlaps with STAR's cryostat and superconducting instrument business but at substantially greater scale and broader portfolio.
• Bruker Corporation: Bruker is a major scientific instrument manufacturer offering X-ray spectrometers, microanalysis systems, and other analytical instrumentation. Overlaps with STAR's MICA-1600 microcalorimeter spectrometer and STJ X-ray spectrometer lines as both a competitor and customer.
• Bluefors Oy: Bluefors manufactures cryogen-free dilution refrigerators widely used in quantum computing and ultra-low-temperature research. Comparable in cryogen-free refrigeration technology to STAR's ADR cryostats, but focused on the dilution refrigerator segment.

Direct peers

• Supracon AG: Supracon AG develops and manufactures SQUID systems and components for applications including geophysics, non-destructive testing, and biomagnetism. Closely comparable to STAR in commercial SQUID product offerings and target markets.
• Lake Shore Cryotronics: Lake Shore Cryotronics produces cryogenic temperature sensors, instruments, and probe stations for low-temperature research. Overlaps with STAR in cryogenic instrumentation, temperature measurement, and serving the same national lab and university research customer base.
• Janis Research (Lake Shore): Janis Research (part of Lake Shore Cryotronics) produces cryogenic systems including continuous-flow and liquid helium cryostats for research applications. Comparable to STAR's ADR cryostats in the cryogenic research instrumentation segment.
• Quantum Design: Quantum Design manufactures cryogenic systems, superconducting magnet systems, and physical property measurement systems used by research labs worldwide. Highly comparable to STAR in serving low-temperature physics and materials science customers with cryogenic instrumentation, though at much larger scale.
• HTS-110: HTS-110 designs and manufactures high-temperature superconducting wire, coils, and current leads. Comparable to STAR in HTS materials and device expertise, with similar target customers in research labs and industrial magnet applications.

Emerging players

• attocube systems AG: attocube develops cryogenic nanopositioning and measurement systems for low-temperature and quantum applications. Partial overlap with STAR in cryogenic instrumentation and quantum-adjacent markets, with a focus on positioning and optical sensing.
• SeeQC (HYPRES): SeeQC develops superconducting digital and quantum electronics, leveraging Nb Josephson junction fabrication processes. Comparable to STAR's foundry services and LTS/HTS device expertise, with a focus on superconducting computing and quantum applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/star-cryoelectronics-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STAR Cryoelectronics