High-power closed-cycle ${}^4$He cryostat with top-loading sample exchange

Abstract

We report on the development of a versatile cryogen-free laboratory cryostat based upon a commercial pulse tube cryocooler. It provides enough cooling power for continuous recondensation of circulating ${}^4$He gas at a condensation pressure of approximately 250~mbar. Moreover, the cryostat allows for exchange of different cryostat-inserts as well as fast and easy "wet" top-loading of samples directly into the 1 K pot with a turn-over time of less than 75~min. Starting from room temperature and using a ${}^4$He cryostat-insert, a base temperature of 1.0~K is reached within approximately seven hours and a cooling power of 250~mW is established at 1.24~K.

References in corpus (2)

• New source for ultracold neutrons at the Institut Laue-Langevin
• Dry dilution refrigerator with 4He-1K-loop