Piezoelectric rotator for studying quantum effects in semiconductor nanostructures at high magnetic fields and low temperatures

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel piezoelectric rotation system integrated into a dilution refrigerator, enabling precise in situ orientation control of semiconductor nanodevices at millikelvin temperatures and high magnetic fields for quantum transport studies.

Contribution

The development of a high-precision, in situ piezoelectric rotation system compatible with dilution refrigerators for quantum transport experiments in nanostructures.

Findings

Allows continuous >100° rotation in two configurations

Maintains device temperature below 100mK during rotation

Achieves angle measurement accuracy of +/-0.03 degrees

Abstract

We report the design and development of a piezoelectric sample rotation system, and its integration into an Oxford Instruments Kelvinox 100 dilution refrigerator, for orientation-dependent studies of quantum transport in semiconductor nanodevices at millikelvin temperatures in magnetic fields up to 10T. Our apparatus allows for continuous in situ rotation of a device through >100deg in two possible configurations. The first enables rotation of the field within the plane of the device, and the second allows the field to be rotated from in-plane to perpendicular to the device plane. An integrated angle sensor coupled with a closed-loop feedback system allows the device orientation to be known to within +/-0.03deg whilst maintaining the sample temperature below 100mK.