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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
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Fabrication and Testing of Photonic Thermometers
Published on: October 24, 2018
Platinum wire NMR thermometer for ultralow temperatures
C Buchal1, J Hanssen, R M Mueller
1Institut fur Festkorperforschung, Kernforschungsanlage Julich, D-5170 Julich, West-Germany.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|September 1, 1978
Summary
We developed a platinum wire nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) thermometer. This device accurately measures temperatures as low as 0.55 millikelvin, crucial for ultra-low temperature physics research.
Area of Science:
- Low-temperature physics
- Thermodynamics
- Materials science
Background:
- Accurate thermometry is essential for studying phenomena at ultra-low temperatures.
- Existing thermometers face limitations in sensitivity and operational range at millikelvin temperatures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct and characterize a novel platinum wire nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) thermometer.
- To extend the reliable measurement range of NMR thermometry to sub-millikelvin temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Construction of a platinum wire NMR thermometer.
- Calibration of the thermometer using a nuclear demagnetization cryostat.
- Utilizing PrNi(5) for nuclear demagnetization to reach ultra-low temperatures.
Main Results:
- The platinum wire NMR thermometer was successfully constructed and its behavior analyzed.
- The thermometer was calibrated down to 14.6 mK.
- The device demonstrated functionality down to 0.55 mK, a new record for this type of thermometer.
Conclusions:
- The platinum wire NMR thermometer provides a reliable method for thermometry in the sub-millikelvin range.
- This advancement enables more precise investigations into quantum phenomena at extremely low temperatures.
- The successful use of PrNi(5) for nuclear demagnetization highlights its effectiveness in reaching ultra-low temperatures.
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