Condensed Matter Facilities
Scientists in the Condensed Matter Group perform their own in-house research using their personal equipment that allows samples to be studied in a range of thermal and electromagnetic environments.
Computing Cluster
Simulations are performed by means of a 64-nodes computation cluster, each node having two 3.06 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processors, 512 MB RAM and a 40 GB hard drive.
Cryogenics and Superconducting Magnets
A dilution refrigerator capable of reaching 3 mK.
These cryostats are equipped with superconducting magnets of 9 T, 15 T, a 16 T lambda-plate, and a 1 T vector field. One of the 3He refrigerators allows in-situ sample rotation.
- Four dilution refrigerators (Leiden Cryogenics and Oxford) with base temperatures ranging from 3 to 50 mK
- two 3He refrigerators operating down to 250 mK
- a variable temperature insert with a temperature range of 1.5 to 300K
Crystal Growth and X-ray Capabilities
A Canon Machinery 2-mirror floating zone image furnace and various box furnaces with atmospheres of Ar, H2 or O2 allow synthesizing of high quality crystals. Wire and diamond saws are used for crystal cutting and alignment. A Rigaku Cu X-ray rotating anode source, with a Ge monochromator and a Huber 670 Guinier Image Plate with a closed cycle He insert (down to 8 K) are used for X-ray characterization.
High-frequency and Pulsed Equipment
Two high frequency synthesizers
and a fast pulser.
Pulsed and continuous wave setups allow broad-band microwave spectroscopy and sub-nanosecond microwave pulses with frequencies up to 40 GHz. A pulsed EPR setup is available as well. For some experiments, we use high current/voltage pulsed equipment able to deliver pulses of up to 3 A (pulse width >100 ns) or 50 A (pulse width > 50 µs).
Stand-alone Physical Properties Measurement Systems
Two Quantum Design SQUIDs operating from 1.8 to 350 K and fields up to 5 T (10-6 emu sensitivity) and 7 T (2x10-8 emu sensitivity, horizontal rotation possible) respectively. One Quantum Design PPMS operating from 0.35 to 350 K and in fields up to 9 T. This equipment allows measurements of transport properties, heat capacity, dielectric constant, thermoelectric power, thermal conductivity, magnetic torque and susceptibility.
Ultra-fast Optics Techniques
A tunable pico/femtosecond laser and a chirped-pulse amplifier tunable from UV to mid-IR allow optical studies to be performed in a 17.5 T/4 K cryogenic system. The setup also provides a streak camera (2 ps resolution) with magnetic shielding, assorted detectors and a grating spectrometer.
Related Links
For more information about in-house capabilities, refer to the Web links above or contact James Brooks, Director, Condensed Matter Science / Experimental, or Vladimir Dobrosavljevic, Director, Condensed Matter Science / Theory.
