Facilities

The group uses several major items of equipment in the department for its research. The main experimental facitities are mentioned below:

Rotating cryostat, with a dilution fridge and a copper nuclear demagnetisation stage able to cool to well below 1 mK and rotate up to 1 Hz. Currently being used for studies of textures, vortices and superflow in ³He-A.
The new Centre for Mesoscience & Nanotechnology provides AFM, SEM FEI, Optical lithography and Electron beam lithography LEO.
Nuclear demagnetisation cryostat able to cool to well below 1 mK. Currently being refurbished after 25 years use.
³He Cryostat. The current work is on superfluid in a porous fractal medium (aerogel). Acoustic and torsional ocillator techniques are being employed.
⁴He flow cryostat with cooling power up to 10 Watts. Combines STM and nanomanipulators (used for manipulation nanoscale objects) with an optical microscope. Currently used for studying mesoscopic superconductive and ferromagnetic nanoparticles.
³He cryostat with 6 Tesla magnet used for studying mesoscopic ferromagnets and superconductors.
Vibrating sample magnetometer.

The group also employs three research technicians. The above cryostats use helium from our new helium liquifier which produces over 60 litres of helium per hour.

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