Oxford Instruments and Zurich Instruments have introduced the SampleProtect measurement system. It is optimized for opto-electrical measurement experiments, ensuring sensitive samples are protected throughout the whole experiment. It also minimizes the time taken to obtain first experimental results.
The SampleProtect measurement system comes complete with Oxford Instruments’ cryogen-free bottom-loading cryostat (the OptistatDry BLV), an MFLI lock-in amplifier from Zurich Instruments, a specially designed ESD break-out box, and high-quality cables.
The SampleProtect measurement system ensures that the user’s sample is protected from the risk of ESD damage from the moment it is electrically connected to the patent-pending pucks. ESD protection is designed into the system at every stage of the experiment. This means every time you load a sample into the cryostat you can be confident that it is electrically protected—no more waiting until the sample is cold to find out whether it has been damaged during the loading process. SampleProtect provides fully earthed signal management, eliminating the risk of earth loops that might interfere with your signal. Full measurement quality interconnecting cables for your low-level signals are also provided.
The Cryofree OptistatDry BLV model allows samples to be cooled to less than 3 K without the need for liquid cryogens. It has been designed with customers’ experiments in mind, making integration into spectroscopy experiments quick and easy. Sample change is done through the unique load port with the cryostat in-situ, eliminating the need for removal and realigning of the cryostat for each and every sample change. This minimizes the time taken from setting up the new cryostat to obtaining the first experimental results, and in between subsequent experiments.
The MFLI lock-in amplifier operates in the low and medium frequency domain and is paired with the functionality of the LabOne measurement toolset. Additionally, the differential voltage and current inputs of the MFLI are optimized for low-noise operation. The high oversampling rate ensures an even better signal-to-noise ratio, which is essential for low-temperature applications. Users can characterize their samples with a multitude of analysis tools like the oscilloscope, the spectrum analyzer, the SW trigger, or the parametric sweeper, all within the same user interface, which reduces complexity. The MFLI integrated with the OptistatDry BLV model comes equipped with 500-kHz frequency range and four demodulators for measurements at four frequencies simultaneously.
“The SampleProtect measurement capability brings the advantages of the OptistatDry family to opto-electrical measurements. ESD damage to samples is a major issue for researchers with sensitive samples, such as those working on quantum devices. This unique system ensures that the sample is protected at every stage of the experiment making these types of measurements much more efficient,” said David Clapton, product lifecycle manager at Oxford Instruments NanoScience.