  We have developed an absolute magnetic field sensor using Superconducting
Quantum Interference Filter (SQIF) made of high-T_c grain boundary Josephson
junctions. The device shows the typical magnetic field dependent voltage
response V(B), which is sharp delta-like dip in the vicinity of zero magnetic
field. When the SQIF is cooled with magnetic shield, and then the shield is
removed, the presence of the ambient magnetic field induces a shift of the dip
position from B_0 ~ 0 to a value B ~ B_1, which is about the average value of
the earth magnetic field, at our latitude. When the SQIF is cooled in the
ambient field without shielding, the dip is first found at B ~ B_1, and the
further shielding of the SQIF results in a shift of the dip towards B_0 ~ 0.
The low hysteresis observed in the sequence of experiments (less than 5% of
B_1) makes SQIFs suitable for high precision measurements of the absolute
magnetic field. The experimental results are discussed in view of potential
applications of high-T_c SQIFs in magnetometry.

Superconductivity