We developed a new scheme for cryogen-free cooling down to sub-3 K temperature range and ultra-low vibration level. An ultra-high-vacuum cryogen-free scanning probe microscope (SPM) system was built based on the new scheme. Instead of mounting a below-decoupled cryocooler directly onto the system, the new design was realized by integrating a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler into a separate liquefying chamber, providing two-stage heat exchangers in a remote way. About 10 L of helium gas inside the gas handling system was cooled, liquefied in the liquefying chamber, and then transferred to a continuous-flow cryostat on the SPM chamber through an ∼2 m flexible helium transfer line. The exhausted helium gas from the continuous-flow cryostat was then returned to the liquefying chamber for reliquefaction. A base temperature of ∼2.84 K at the scanner sample stage and a temperature fluctuation of almost within ±0.1 mK at 4 K were achieved. The cooling curves, tunneling current noise, variable-temperature test, scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy imaging, and first and second derivatives of I(V) spectra are characterized to verify that the performance of our cryogen-free SPM system is comparable to the bath cryostat-based low-temperature SPM system. This remote liquefaction close-cycle scheme shows conveniency to upgrade the existing bath cryostat-based SPM system, upgradeability of realizing even lower temperature down to sub-1 K range, and great compatibility of other physical environments, such as high magnetic field and optical accesses. We believe that the new scheme could also pave a way for other cryogenic applications requiring low temperature but sensitive to vibration.
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21 September 2023
Research Article|
September 06 2023
Development of a cryogen-free sub-3 K low-temperature scanning probe microscope by remote liquefaction scheme
Ruisong Ma
;
Ruisong Ma
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
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Hao Li
;
Hao Li
(Data curation, Methodology, Validation)
2
ACME (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.
, Bejing 101407, China
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Chenshuai Shi;
Chenshuai Shi
(Data curation, Methodology, Validation)
2
ACME (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.
, Bejing 101407, China
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Fan Wang
;
Fan Wang
(Investigation, Methodology, Validation)
3
Beijing Physike Technology Co., Ltd.
, Bejing 100085, China
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Le Lei;
Le Lei
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
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Yuanzhi Huang;
Yuanzhi Huang
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
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Yani Liu;
Yani Liu
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
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Huan Shan;
Huan Shan
(Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
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Li Liu;
Li Liu
(Software)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
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Shesong Huang
;
Shesong Huang
(Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology)
3
Beijing Physike Technology Co., Ltd.
, Bejing 100085, China
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Zhi-Chuan Niu;
Zhi-Chuan Niu
(Methodology, Resources)
4
State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Beijing 100083, China
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Qing Huan
;
Qing Huan
a)
(Conceptualization, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
5
Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, China
6
Key Laboratory for Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Beijing 100190, China
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Hong-Jun Gao
Hong-Jun Gao
a)
(Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing)
1
Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China
5
Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
, Dongguan, Guangdong 523808, China
6
Key Laboratory for Vacuum Physics, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
, Beijing 100190, China
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Rev. Sci. Instrum. 94, 093701 (2023)
Article history
Received:
June 26 2023
Accepted:
August 20 2023
Citation
Ruisong Ma, Hao Li, Chenshuai Shi, Fan Wang, Le Lei, Yuanzhi Huang, Yani Liu, Huan Shan, Li Liu, Shesong Huang, Zhi-Chuan Niu, Qing Huan, Hong-Jun Gao; Development of a cryogen-free sub-3 K low-temperature scanning probe microscope by remote liquefaction scheme. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 21 September 2023; 94 (9): 093701. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0165089
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