Research Facilities
The Superconductivity and Magnetism Group has a suite of state-of-the-art equipment that is operated and maintained by the Group. This apparatus is used for:
These facilities are available for use by members of the Department, the University, and, through collaborations, by external users.
If you would like to know more please contact a member of the Superconductivity and Magnetism Group (please see listings below).
During the course of our research work we also make regular use of a number of Central Facilities here in the UK and abroad.
Equipment List and Specifications
Sample Preparation Facilities
Equipment |
Specifications |
External users |
Status |
|
Crystal Systems Incorporated F-ZT-10000-H-IV-VPS infra red image furnace. |
4 mirror furnace. Max. operating temperature 2000 ºC. Chamber can be pumped to 10-6 mbar using a turbo pump and then filled with O2, Ar, CO or various specific gas mixtures up to pressures of 10 atm. |
Contact GB for further details. |
Operational. |
|
Crystal Systems Incorporated FZ-T-12000-X-VI-VP Xenon lamp image furnace. |
4 mirror furnace. Max. operating temperature 2800 ºC. Chamber can be pumped to 10-6 mbar using a turbo pump and then filled with O2, Ar, CO or various specific gas mixtures up to pressures of 10 atm. |
Contact GB for further details. |
Operational. |
| Canon Machinery SC1-MD11020 infra red image furnace. | 2 mirror furnace. Max. operating temperature 2000 ºC. | Contact GB for further details. | Operational. |
A Cyberstar (France) Czochralski tetra arc furnace. |
For the growth of metallic and intermetallic single crystals. |
Contact GB for further details. |
Operational. |
| Argon shielded tri arc furnace. | Thoriated tungsten electrodes. Samples up to 8 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter prepared under 1 atm. flowing Ar gas. |
Contact GB for further details. |
Operational. |
| 3 tube furnaces. | Max. temperature 1600 ºC. Treatment under flowing gases. | Booking sheets open. | |
| 3 box furnaces. | Max. temperature 1600 ºC. | Booking sheets open. | |
| 2 annealing tube furnaces. | Max. temperature 1000 ºC. | Booking sheets open. | |
| 4 three zone furnaces. | Each zone is controlled separately with a max. operating temperature of up to 1200 ºC. | Booking sheets open. | |
| Philips PW1730 X-ray generator with Photonic-Science real time Laue system. | Photonic-Science high resolution Laue X-ray imaging system with Newport goniometer; Philips x-ray generator with Mo tube. |
Contact Oleg Petrenko for further details. |
Booking sheets open. |
Laboratory Measurement and Characterization Apparatus
Equipment |
Specifications |
External users |
Status |
|
Quantum Design MPMS 5S SQUID magnetometer. {M vs. T or M vs. H} |
±5 T magnet. T range 1.8 to 400 K. Sensitivity 5×10-7 emu. Maximum sample size ~5×5×5 mm3 and 3 emu. The system has an ultra-low field and an ac option. |
Contact MRL |
Booking sheets open. |
|
Quantum Design MPMS XL7 SQUID magnetometer. {M vs. T or M vs. H} |
±7 T magnet. T range 1.8 to 400 K with oven option to 800 K. Sensitivity 5×10-7 emu. Maximum calibrated sample size ~9 mm and 5 emu. System includes transverse moment detection system and sample rotators. |
Contact MRL |
Booking sheets open. |
|
IQ2000-AGHS-2RSO Helium-3 system. {M vs. T or M vs. H} |
T range 480 mK to 1.8 K, background 2×10-4 emu at 5 T. Used in conjunction with 7 T QD MPMS SQUID magnetometer. |
Contact MRL |
Ready for use. |
|
easyLab Mcell10 pressure cell: used in conjunction with our SQUID magnetometers. |
Single wall cell. Hydrostatic pressures of 10 kbar. Sample space (1.9 mm diameter and 10 mm long). With automatic background subtraction min. sample signal ~1×10-5 emu. |
See MRL | Ready for use. |
|
Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) (#1). {C vs. T or H} |
±9 T magnet. Heat capacity measurements using a relaxation method over the T range 1.8 to 400 K. Base temperature 300 mK with He-3 insert and 50 mK with dilution refrigerator option. | Contact MRL |
Booking sheets open. |
|
Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System (PPMS) (#2). {Rac and Rdc) vs. T, H, or P} {S and K vs. T or H} |
±9 T magnet, T range 1.8 to 400 K. Transport measurement: AC transport option allows AC and DC resistivity, 4 and 5 wire balanced Hall effect and I-V curve measurements. Thermal transport option allows measurements of thermal conductance K and Seebeck coefficient S. |
Contact MRL |
Booking sheets open. |
| easyLab Pcell30 pressure cell: used in conjunction with our PPMS system. | Cylindrical double-walled BeCu/super-alloy & WC Maximum pressure 3.0 GPa, pressure volume 2.9 mm dia. x 10 mm length, 6 Cu twisted pairs for AC transport measurements. | Contact MRL | Est. operational Oct. 2017. |
|
Oxford Instruments cryomagnet. {R vs. T or R vs. H} |
±(15 + 2) T magnet. T range 1.4 to 300 K (0.3 K with He-3 insert). | Contact PAG | Operational |
|
Oxford Instruments vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). {M vs. T or M vs. H} |
±12 T magnet. T range 1.4 to 300 K. Sensitivity 5×10-6 emu (1×10-4 emu with furnace insert). Maximum sample size ~5 × 5 × 5 mm3 and 300 emu. | Contact MRL | Booking sheets open. |
|
Oxford Instruments cryomagnet. (ESR measurements) |
±9 T magnet. T range 1.4 to 300 K. Variable frequency ESR measurements. | Contact OAP | Warm - ready for use. |
| 2 ASR products orange cryostats. | T range 1.4 to 300 K. Inserts: heat capacity (adiabatic method), ac magnetic susceptibility (N.B. 20-10000 Hz, zero d.c. magnetic field). | Contact MRL | Heat capacity insert awaiting repair. |
|
Oxford Instruments Heliox He-3 insert. {χa.c. vs. T or frequency}
|
Base temperature 320 mK with ac magnetic susceptibility stage. | in use: final year project | Testing. |