The CUORE Cryostat: A 1-Ton Scale Setup for Bolometric Detectors

TL;DR

The CUORE cryostat is a large-scale, cryogen-free dilution refrigerator system designed for ultra-low temperature operation of a 1-ton bolometric detector array, achieving a record temperature of 6 mK for rare event detection.

Contribution

This paper presents the design, commissioning, and thermal performance results of the CUORE cryostat, the largest bolometric detector cryogenic system to date.

Findings

Achieved a record temperature of 6 mK on a cubic meter scale.

Successfully commissioned the cryostat with 988 TeO2 crystals.

Demonstrated stable cryogenic performance for rare event detection.

Abstract

The cryogenic underground observatory for rare events (CUORE) is a 1-ton scale bolometric experiment whose detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals arranged in a cylindrical compact structure of 19 towers. This will be the largest bolometric mass ever operated. The experiment will work at a temperature around or below 10 mK. CUORE cryostat consists of a cryogen-free system based on pulse tubes and a custom high power dilution refrigerator, designed to match these specifications. The cryostat has been commissioned in 2014 at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories and reached a record temperature of 6 mK on a cubic meter scale. In this paper, we present results of CUORE commissioning runs. Details on the thermal characteristics and cryogenic performances of the system will be also given.