Physical Properties Measurement System: Quantum Design DynaCool™

Overview

The Quantum Design DynaCoolTM Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS) is a multifunctional instrument, able to measure the electromagnetic and thermodynamic properties of virtually any material under magnetic fields of up to ± 14 T and temperatures of 400 K – 1.8 K (and up to 1000 K in the case of magnetisation measurements).

Unique in the UK, the PPMS can characterise samples that have been irradiated, with activities < 0.1 MBq Co60 equivalent. Modules currently installed are:

• Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (and VSM oven)
• AC Measurement System II
• Electrical Transport Option
• Resistivity Option
• Heat Capacity Option
• Thermal Transport Option
• Horizontal Rotator Option

Applications

• Vibrating Sample Magnetometer: DC magnetisation
• AC Measurement System II: AC magnetic susceptibility and DC magnetisation
• Electrical Transport Option: electrical resistance, hall-coefficient, current-voltage characteristics, and differential current-voltage characteristics
• Resistivity Option: electrical resistance
• Heat Capacity Option: specific heat capacity
• Thermal Transport Option: thermal conductance, Seebeck coefficient, resistivity, thermoelectric figure of merit
• Horizontal Rotator Option: sample rotation – compatible with the ETO and resistivity options

Technical specification

Temperature control

• 1 hour to cool from room temperature to 1.8 K
• 0.1 % stability for T < 20 K , 0.02 % stability for T > 20 K

Magnetic field control

• Max field ramp rate: 0.01 T s-1
• 0.1 % field uniformity over central 5.5 cm sample space

Vibrating sample magnetometer

• Max Field ramp rate: 0.01 T s-1
• DC moment precision: 1 nA m2
• Accuracy: ± 0.5 %

AC Measurement System II

• AC moment precision: 10 pA m2
• DC moment precision: 5 nA m2
• Accuracy : ± 1%

Electrical transport option

• 2 measurement channels
• Dynamic range : 10 μΩ – 5 GΩ
• Precision: 10 nΩ
• Accuracy: ± 0.1% R < 200 kΩ
• ± 0.2% R ≈ 1 MΩ
• ± 2.0% R < 1 GΩ
• ± 5.0% R = 5 GΩ

Resistivity option

• 3 measurement channels
• Dynamic range: 10 μΩ – 5 MΩ
• Precision: 4 μΩ
• Accuracy: ± 0.1% R < 200 kΩ
• ± 0.2% R ≈ 1 MΩ

Heat capacity option

• Precision: 10 nJ/K
• Accuracy: ± 5%

Thermal transport option

• Dynamic Range: 1 – 25 mW/K for T = 400 K
• 100 μW/K – 100 mW/K for T ≈ 50 K
• 10 μW/K – 1 mW/K for T ≈ 1.9 K
• Accuracy: ± 5 %

---