Millikelvin Temperatures Research Articles

Measurement of a magnonic crystal at millikelvin temperatures

Hybrid systems combining magnons and superconducting quantum circuits have attracted increasing interest in recent years. Magnonic crystals (MCs) are one of the building blocks of room-temperature magnonics and can be used to create devices with an engineered band structure. These devices, exhibiting tunable frequency selectivity and the ability to store travelling excitations in the microwave regime, may form the basis of a set of tools to be used in the context of quantum information processing. In order to ascertain the feasibility of such plans, MCs must be demonstrated to work at the low temperatures required for microwave-frequency quantum experiments. We report the measurements of the transmission of microwave signals through an MC at 20 mK and observe a magnonic bandgap in both continuous-wave and pulsed excitation experiments. The spin-wave damping at low temperatures in our yttrium iron garnet MC is higher than expected, indicating that further work is necessary before the full potential of quantum experiments using magnonic crystals can be realised.

Spin noise and damping in individual metallic ferromagnetic nanoparticles

We introduce a highly sensitive and relatively simple technique to observe magnetization motion in single Ni nanoparticles, based on charge sensing by electron tunneling at millikelvin temperature. Sequential electron tunneling via the nanoparticle drives nonequilibrium magnetization dynamics, which induces an effective charge noise that we measure in real time. In the free spin diffusion regime, where the electrons and magnetization are in detailed balance, we observe that magnetic damping time exhibits a peak with the magnetic field, with a record long damping time of $\simeq 10$~ms.

Inductive-detection electron-spin resonance spectroscopy with 65 spins/Hz sensitivity

We report electron spin resonance spectroscopy measurements performed at millikelvin temperatures in a custom-built spectrometer comprising a superconducting micro-resonator at 7 GHz and a Josephson parametric amplifier. Owing to the small (∼10−12λ3) magnetic resonator mode volume and to the low noise of the parametric amplifier, the spectrometer's single shot sensitivity reaches 260 ± 40 spins/echo translating into 65±10 spins/Hz for repeated acquisition.

Indication of band flattening at the Fermi level in a strongly correlated electron system

Using ultra-high quality SiGe/Si/SiGe quantum wells at millikelvin temperatures, we experimentally compare the energy-averaged effective mass, m, with that at the Fermi level, mF, and verify that the behaviours of these measured values are qualitatively different. With decreasing electron density (or increasing interaction strength), the mass at the Fermi level monotonically increases in the entire range of electron densities, while the energy-averaged mass saturates at low densities. The qualitatively different behaviour reveals a precursor to the interaction-induced single-particle spectrum flattening at the Fermi level in this electron system.

Results from the first cryogenic NaI detector for the COSINUS project

Recently there is a flourishing and notable interest in the crystalline scintillator material sodium iodide (NaI) as target for direct dark matter searches. This is mainly driven by the long-reigning contradicting situation in the dark matter sector: the positive evidence for the detection of a dark matter modulation signal claimed by the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration is (under so-called standard assumptions) inconsistent with the null-results reported by most of the other direct dark matter experiments. We present the results of a first prototype detector using a new experimental approach in comparison to conventional single-channel NaI scintillation light detectors: a NaI crystal operated as a scintillating calorimeter at milli-Kelvin temperatures simultaneously providing a phonon (heat) plus scintillation light signal and particle discrimination on an event-by-event basis. We evaluate energy resolution, energy threshold and further performance parameters of this prototype detector developed within the COSINUS R&D project.

Tuning a 3D microwave cavity via superfluid helium at millikelvin temperatures

Frequency tunability of three dimensional (3D) microwave cavities opens up numerous possibilities for their use in hybrid quantum systems and related technologies. For many applications, it is desirable to tune the resonance at cryogenic temperatures without mechanical actuation. We show that a superconducting 3D microwave cavity can be tuned at the percent level by taking advantage of the dielectric properties of superfluid 4He at millikelvin temperatures, without affecting its intrinsic quality factor—reaching 3 × 105 in the present experiment.

Photoassociation driven by a short laser pulse at millikelvin temperature

We investigate theoretically the photoassociation process of $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms driven by a short laser pulse at several millikelvins. At this temperature, the actions of the rotational barrier, weights of initial scattering states, and shape resonance emerge and have an influence on the thermally averaged photoassociation probability. The calculated thermal weighted population distribution of rotational states agrees well with photoassociation spectrum experiment. The thermally averaged photoassociation probability decreases with an increase in temperature.

Magnetic Resonance with Squeezed Microwaves

Vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field set a fundamental limit to the sensitivity of a variety of measurements, including magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We report the use of squeezed microwave fields, which are engineered quantum states of light for which fluctuations in one field quadrature are reduced below the vacuum level, to enhance the detection sensitivity of an ensemble of electronic spins at millikelvin temperatures.} By shining a squeezed vacuum state on the input port of a microwave resonator containing the spins, we obtain a $1.2$\,dB noise reduction at the spectrometer output compared to the case of a vacuum input. This result constitutes a proof of principle of the application of quantum metrology to magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Quantum Brownian Motion at Strong Dissipation Probed by Superconducting Tunnel Junctions.

We have investigated the phase dynamics of a superconducting tunnel junction at ultralow temperatures in the presence of high damping, where the interaction with environmental degrees of freedom represents the leading energy scale. In this regime, theory predicts the dynamics to follow a generalization of the classical Smoluchowski description, the quantum Smoluchowski equation, thus, exhibiting overdamped quantum Brownian motion characteristics. For this purpose, we have performed current-biased measurements on the small-capacitance Josephson junction of a scanning tunneling microscope placed in a low impedance environment at milli-Kelvin temperatures. We can describe our experimental findings with high accuracy by using a quantum phase diffusion model based on the quantum Smoluchowski equation. In this way we experimentally demonstrate that overdamped quantum systems follow quasiclassical dynamics with significant quantum effects as the leading corrections.

Field-Induced Instability of a Gapless Spin Liquid with a Spinon Fermi Surface.

The ground state of the quantum kagome antiferromagnet Zn-brochantite, ZnCu_{3}(OH)_{6}SO_{4}, which is one of only a few known spin-liquid (SL) realizations in two or three dimensions, has been described as a gapless SL with a spinon Fermi surface. Employing nuclear magnetic resonance in a broad magnetic-field range down to millikelvin temperatures, we show that in applied magnetic fields this enigmatic state is intrinsically unstable against a SL with a full or a partial gap. A similar instability of the gapless Fermi-surface SL was previously encountered in an organic triangular-lattice antiferromagnet, suggesting a common destabilization mechanism that most likely arises from spinon pairing. A salient property of this instability is that an infinitesimal field suffices to induce it, as predicted theoretically for some other types of gapless SLs.

Strong coupling of magnons in a YIG sphere to photons in a planar superconducting resonator in the quantum limit

We report measurements made at millikelvin temperatures of a superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator (CPWR) coupled to a sphere of yttrium-iron garnet. Systems hybridising collective spin excitations with microwave photons have recently attracted interest for their potential quantum information applications. In this experiment the non-uniform microwave field of the CPWR allows coupling to be achieved to many different magnon modes in the sphere. Calculations of the relative coupling strength of different mode families in the sphere to the CPWR are used to successfully identify the magnon modes and their frequencies. The measurements are extended to the quantum limit by reducing the drive power until, on average, less than one photon is present in the CPWR. Investigating the time-dependent response of the system to square pulses, oscillations in the output signal at the mode splitting frequency are observed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of future experiments combining magnonic elements with planar superconducting quantum devices.

Improved Noninterferometric Test of Collapse Models Using Ultracold Cantilevers.

Spontaneous collapse models predict that a weak force noise acts on any mechanical system, as a consequence of the collapse of the wave function. Significant upper limits on the collapse rate have been recently inferred from precision mechanical experiments, such as ultracold cantilevers and the space mission LISA Pathfinder. Here, we report new results from an experiment based on a high-Q cantilever cooled to millikelvin temperatures, which is potentially able to improve the current bounds on the continuous spontaneous localization (CSL) model by 1 order of magnitude. High accuracy measurements of the cantilever thermal fluctuations reveal a nonthermal force noise of unknown origin. This excess noise is compatible with the CSL heating predicted by Adler. Several physical mechanisms able to explain the observed noise have been ruled out.

Electrostatic tuning of magnetism at the conducting (111) (La0.3Sr0.7)(Al0.65Ta0.35)/SrTiO3 interface

We present measurements of the low temperature electrical transport properties of the two dimensional carrier gas that forms at the interface of (111) (La0.3Sr0.7)(Al0.65Ta0.35)/SrTiO3 as a function of applied back gate voltage, Vg. As is found in (111) LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces, the low-field Hall coefficient is electron-like but shows a sharp reduction in magnitude below V g ∼ 20 V, indicating the presence of hole-like carriers in the system. This same value of Vg correlates approximately with the gate voltage below which the magnetoresistance evolves from nonhysteretic to hysteretic behavior at millikelvin temperatures, signaling the onset of magnetic order in the system. We believe our results can provide insight into the mechanism of magnetism in SrTiO3 based systems.

Tunneling, Current Gain, and Transconductance in Silicon-Germanium Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors Operating at Millikelvin Temperatures

In quantum computing, metrology, single-photon counting, and nanomechanics, weak electronic signals at extremely low temperatures need amplification. To this end, the authors build and study silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors, which offer excellent amplifier characteristics, integrability with silicon quantum electronics, low cost, and manufacturability. Their research at the junction of physics and electrical engineering is a step toward next-generation integrated circuits at the 90-nm scale for this temperature regime.

The nu -cleus experiment: a gram-scale fiducial-volume cryogenic detector for the first detection of coherent neutrino\u2013nucleus scattering

We discuss a small-scale experiment, called nu -cleus, for the first detection of coherent neutrino–nucleus scattering by probing nuclear-recoil energies down to the 10 eV regime. The detector consists of low-threshold CaWO_4 and Al_2O_3 calorimeter arrays with a total mass of about 10 g and several cryogenic veto detectors operated at millikelvin temperatures. Realizing a fiducial volume and a multi-element target, the detector enables active discrimination of gamma , neutron and surface backgrounds. A first prototype Al_2O_3 device, operated above ground in a setup without shielding, has achieved an energy threshold of {sim }20 eV and further improvements are in reach. A sensitivity study for the detection of coherent neutrino scattering at nuclear power plants shows a unique discovery potential (5sigma ) within a measuring time of {lesssim }2 weeks. Furthermore, a site at a thermal research reactor and the use of a radioactive neutrino source are investigated. With this technology, real-time monitoring of nuclear power plants is feasible.

Electromagnetic properties of terbium gallium garnet at millikelvin temperatures and low photon energy

Electromagnetic properties of single crystal terbium gallium garnet are characterised from room down to millikelvin temperatures using the whispering gallery mode method. Microwave spectroscopy is performed at low powers equivalent to a few photons in energy and conducted as functions of the magnetic field and temperature. A phase transition is detected close to the temperature of 3.5 K. This is observed for multiple whispering gallery modes causing an abrupt negative frequency shift and a change in transmission due to extra losses in the new phase caused by a change in complex magnetic susceptibility.

MMC-based low-temperature detector system of the AMoRE-Pilot experiment

Metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) are highly sensitive temperature sensors that operate at millikelvin temperatures. An energy deposit in a detector can be measured using an MMC through the induced temperature increase. The MMC signal, i.e., a variation in magnetization can then be measured using a superconducting quantum interference device. MMCs are used in particle physics experiments searching for rare processes as their high sensitivity and fast response provide high energy and timing resolutions and good particle discrimination. Low-temperature detectors consisting of molybdenum-based scintillating crystals read out via MMCs were designed and built to perform simultaneous measurements of heat and light signals at millikelvin temperatures. These detectors have been used in the advanced Mo-based rare process experiment (AMoRE) that searches for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 100Mo. This article provides a detailed description of the MMC-based low-temperature detector system of the AMoRE-Pilot experiment which currently uses five crystals.

Protocol for maximising light signal of metallic magnetic calorimeters for neutrinoless double beta decay search

We report on a systematic study for maximising the signal size of metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) used for large-area light detectors operating at milli-Kelvin temperatures. These light detectors are to be used for phonon-scintillation detection using a scintillating crystal for rare event search experiments. The light detector is composed of a 2 inch wafer as an absorber for scintillation light from a crystal, and an MMC as its sensor. A systematic calculation for the expected signal size is made with different SQUID selections, Er concentrations of an MMC sensor, dimensions of the meander-shaped pick-up coil, field currents and operating temperatures. The optimisation study finds that more than five times larger signals can be achieved compared with that of a reference condition in which 90 eV root-mean-squared threshold is obtained. We also describe the inductance measurement for several MMC devices with different size of the pick-up coil to be applied for an optimal condition. This optimisation protocol is also valid for MMC applications of x-ray, alpha and beta spectroscopies.

Examples of superconducting technology application: Sensing and interfacing

Technological processes for the fabrication of low- and high-Tc Josephson junctions, aimed for certain applications, are described. On the one hand, the integration of low-Tc superconductor digital electronics with superconducting sensor arrays enables input signal processing with quantum limited resolution at millikelvin temperatures. We describe this mixed signal superconductor technology for analogue sensor readout and signal multiplexing for operating temperatures down to 300 mK. On the other hand, by making use of modern high-Tc Josephson junction technology, sensitive magnetometers, which require a modest cooling power, can be developed. Examples of the application of the mentioned processes are shown.

Whispering Gallery mode ESR spectroscopy and parameters measurement in single crystal [formula omitted] at millikelvin temperature

A cylindrical single crystal SrLaAlO4 Whispering Gallery mode dielectric resonator was cooled to millikelvin temperature using a dilution refrigerator. By controlling a DC-magnetic field, impurity ions’ spins were coupled to a variety of modes allowing the measurement of hybrid spin-photon systems. This Electron Spin Resonance mapping technique allowed us to detect Cu2+,Fe3+ and Mn4+ impurity ions (at the level of parts per million (ppm) to parts per billion (ppb)), verified by the measurement of the spin parameters along with their site symmetry. Whispering Gallery modes exhibited Q-factors ⩾105 at a temperature less than 20mK, allowing sensitive spectroscopy with high precision. Measured hyperfine line constants of the Cu2+ ion shows different parallel g-factors, g‖Cu, of 2.526,2.375,2.246 and 2.142. The spin-orbit coupling constant of the Cu2+ ion was determined to be λ≃-635cm-1. The low-spin state Fe3+ ion’s measured parallel g-factor, g‖Fe, of 2.028 reveals tetragonal anisotropy. The Mn4+ ion is identified in the lattice, producing hyperfine structure with high-valued g-factors,g‖Mn, of 7.789,7.745,7.688,7.613,7.5304 and 7.446. The hyperfine structures of the Cu2+ and Mn4+ ions show broadening of about 79G between 9.072GHz and 10.631GHz, and 24.5G broadening between 9.072GHz and 14.871GHz, respectively.