Cryogenics as a service - optical thermometry for cryogenic environments

Description

Cryogenic temperatures are imperative for research in quantum materials in order to study emergent phenomena. CondenZero is at the forefront of cryogenic measurements in transmission electron microscopes (Cryo-TEM), developing liquid-helium sample holders with unparalleled low-temperatures for microscopy measurements in quantum systems. The Swiss quantum sensing and quantum computing ecosystem also heavily relies on cryogenic temperatures to control and read out physical quantum systems.

Unfortunately, in many experimental configurations (such as in Cryo-TEM) geometric limitations near the sample make it challenging to measure the temperature and thermal stability with traditional resistive probes. Our goal is to implement a local optical temperature probe to assess the cryogenic temperature at the sample position. While the current resistive probes positioned near the sample still exhibit a temperature uncertainty of several Kelvins, the proposed setup provides a much more precise temperature assessment directly at the sample location.

The ZHAW School of Engineering offers an exceptional platform for such developments. Together with ZHAW as a partner, we intend to connect with Swiss experts in cryogenic engineering and sensing technologies. ZHAW’s ideal of “cryogenic as a service”, which aims to provide expertise and resources for cryogenic experiments, will be invaluable in furthering an understanding of Cryo-TEM sample holders. The Applied Optics Group in the Institute of Mathematics and Physics at ZHAW can offer its infrastructure for cryogenic optics experiments and know-how in time-resolved fluorescence measurements to help develop a measurement scheme suitable for probing temperature within restrictive spatial conditions.