We describe the design, construction, calibration, and operation of a relatively simple differential capacitive dilatometer suitable for measurements of thermal expansion and magnetostriction from 300 K to below 1 K with a low-temperature resolution of about 0.05 angstroms. The design is characterized by an open architecture permitting measurements on small samples with a variety of shapes. Dilatometers of this design have operated successfully with a commercial physical property measurement system, with several types of cryogenic refrigeration systems, in vacuum, in helium exchange gas, and while immersed in liquid helium (magnetostriction only) to temperatures of 30 mK and in magnetic fields to 45 T.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0610396,
title = {A versatile and compact capacitive dilatometer},
author = {G. M. Schmiedeshoff and A. W. Lounsbury and D. J. Luna and S. J. Tracy and A. J. Schramm and S. W. Tozer and V. F. Correa and S. T. Hannahs and T. P. Murphy and E. C. Palm and A. H. Lacerda and S. L. Bud'ko and P. C. Canfield and J. L. Smith and J. C. Lashley and J. C. Cooley},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0610396},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
8 pages, incorporating 6 figures, submitted to Rev. Sci. Instrum