The aims of this course are to prepare students on the cryogenic engineering required to bring mesoscopic devices to ultra low temperatures (10 mK - 10 K range), in order to operate modern refrigerators, debug cryostat problems they are likely to encounter, and construct successful experimental setups for working at ultra low temperatures.
The scope will include a brief history and overview of helium-based refrigeration, and will focus on the design and operational principles of a He-3/He-4 dilution refrigerator, including thermometry and sample preparation/measurement principles in this extreme environment.
Topics include:
* Basics material physics at low temperatures (specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal contact, etc)
* Cryogen handling (Liquid Nitrogen, Liquid Helium, including safety risks of cryogenic lab work)
* Vacuum engineering for cryogenics (including leak detecting at low temperatures)
* Common cryostat and cooling designs (bath cryostats, transport dewers, Helium refrigerators, wet/dry dilution refrigerators, adiabatic nuclear demagnetisation, on-chip refrigeration)
* Thermometry at and below 1K (Vapour pressure, melting curves, resistance thermometry, noise thermometry, coulomb blockade thermometry, on-chip thermometry, etc.)
* Cryogenic wiring (RF and DC, including basics of aOenuation, isolation, and amplification)
* Overview of superconducting magnet technology
* Common problems
Primary reading recommendations:
* N.H. Balshaw, Practical Cryogenics; An Introduction to Laboratory Cryogenics
* F. Pobell, MaOer and Methods at Low Temperatures
* P.V.E. McClintock, D.J. Meredith, and J.K. Wigmore, Low-Temperature Physics; An introduction for scientists and engineers
* Manufacturer's instruction manual of the cryostat(s) your group use For the bibliophiles:
* C. Enss and S. Hunklinger, Low-Temperature Physics
* O.V. Lounasmaa, Experimental Principles and Methods below 1K
* G. Ventura and L. Risegari, The Art of Cryogenics
Target group: Physics track early-stage students working on experimental condensed matter, involving cryogenics
Prerequisites: None
Evaluation: class participation, homework and final essay/ presentation
Teaching format: lecture + discussions
ECTS: 3 Year: 2020
Track segment(s):
PHY-CON Physics - Condensed Matter
Teacher(s):
Jorden Senior
Teaching assistant(s):
If you want to enroll to this course, please click: REGISTER
- Teacher: Jorden Senior