Facilities

Crystal Synthesis and Device Fabrication

Our selection of materials synthesis apparatus includes chamber furnaces, multi-zone tube furnaces (for example for the growth of single crystals using chemical vapour transport) and a newly designed radio-frequency electro-magnetic induction furnace for the preparation of ultra-pure single crystals of intermetallic compounds.  We have access to clean room facilities for the preparation of micro and nano-electronic devices using photolithography and electron-beam lithography.  Furthermore we are able to synthesize epitaxial films as thin as a single molecular layer e.g. using pulsed-laser deposition.  The stoichiometry and crystal structures may be investigated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction techniques.  The latter may be performed at temperatures down to a few Kelvin.

Cryogenic Measurement Systems

We can achieve some of the lowest temperatures worldwide for refrigerating solid-state materials with cryogenic systems achieving base temperatures less than 10mK.   Our advanced and user-friendly milliKelvin systems are based on state-of-the-art electric and magnetic solid-state refrigerants employing the electro- and magneto-caloric effect and are thus free of rare and expensive helium isotopes. 

With high-precision instruments we can measure sample properties such as resistivity, heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, polarization, magnetisation, dielectric susceptibility, magnetic susceptibility and more. This can be achieved while simultaneously tuning material properties under the extreme conditions of low temperatures, high pressures, uniaxial stress, chemical composition, high magnetic fields and high electric fields (see below).

High Pressure and Uniaxial Stress

IQM has an advanced suite of high pressure apparatus. We are able to routinely pressurize samples of a few mm in size under hydrostatic conditions up to 30kbar (30,000 atmospheres) using piston-cylinder cells. Higher pressures are achieved with opposed diamond or moissanite anvil cells. Examples of measurements possible under these conditions include electrical resistivity, AC magnetic susceptibility, magnetisation, dielectric constant and electrical polarization. Measurements under high pressures may be performed both at room temperature and at temperatures down to the low milliKelvin regime. High pressure experiments are useful for simulating the conditions deep under the earth’s surface and for tuning the lattice density of materials to explore for example pressure-temperature phase diagrams. Complementing our hydrostatic pressure apparatus, piezoelectric-based stress varying instruments, enable us to apply forces to materials in a uniaxial direction. The latter is particularly adept in tuning the properties of multiferroics that are highly sensitive to the magnitude and direction of applied stress.

High Magnetic and Electric Fields​

IQM has its own dedicated 19T superconducting magnet cryostat for use by group members.  We also have access to 6T, 7T, and 14T superconducting magnet systems with a wide range of sample measurement options.  For even higher fields we run experiments at international high-magnetic field laboratories such as in Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.A.  These facilities enable us to investigate the properties of materials and devices in high magnetic fields, low temperatures and high pressures simultaneously. This includes the study of quantum oscillatory phenomena such as the de Haas van Alphen (dHvA) and Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) effects. We are able to apply large electric fields to dielectric samples (typically around 10 kV/cm on bulk crystals) at mK temperatures and high pressures of importance for studying ferroelectrics, multiferroics and carrier density-tuned materials.

Large Scale Facilities​

Depending on the needs of a particular project we are able to access instrument time on a number of large scale facilities such as the neutron and muon scattering centre ‘ISIS’ and the synchrotron light source ‘Diamond’ at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in the United Kingdom and other facilities overseas.

High-Performance and Quantum Computing

We are able to run computer algorithms at the Cambridge University high-performance computing centre using for example the Peta4 or Wilkes2 supercomputers. We also have subscriptions to high performance cloud services for example with Amazon and the IBM quantum computer for those interested in running quantum software. Such facilities are useful when modelling and predicting the behaviour of complex systems.  Some of our projects use machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to tackle problems in materials physics.

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The Cavendish Laboratory
Department of Physics