A Cryogenic Uniaxial Strain Cell for Elastoresistance Measurements

TL;DR

This paper introduces a cryogenic uniaxial strain cell capable of precise elastoresistance measurements in quantum materials across a broad temperature range, demonstrating high accuracy, stability, and robustness in low-temperature environments.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel cryo-compatible strain cell with integrated displacement sensing and modular design, enabling accurate uniaxial strain application in cryogenic conditions for quantum material studies.

Findings

Accurate elastoresistance measurements on BaFe₂As₂ validate the system.

The setup maintains stability under mechanical vibrations and cryogenic conditions.

Results agree with conventional strain measurement techniques.

Abstract

We present the design, implementation, and validation of a cryo-compatible strain cell for elastoresistance measurements in quantum materials. The cell is actuated by three large-format piezoelectric stacks and enables both compressive and tensile strain up to approximately $\pm5\%$. The relative displacement of the sample holders is measured in situ using a high-resolution capacitive displacement sensor, ensuring precise strain control throughout measurement. To operate the strain cell over a broad temperature range from 4.2\,K to 300\,K, a modular measurement probe was developed, allowing efficient thermal coupling and integration into cryogenic environments. The functionality and precision of the setup were demonstrated by elastoresistance measurements on the iron-based superconductor BaFe$_2$As$_2$ along the [110] direction. The results were validated against conventional techniques based on glued samples and strain gauges, showing excellent agreement in amplitude and temperature dependence of the elastoresistance coefficient. Additional tests revealed that the system remains robust under mechanical vibrations introduced by vacuum pumps, enabling stable operation even with liquid nitrogen cooling. This highlights the high mechanical and thermal reliability of the developed platform for low-temperature transport measurements under controlled uniaxial strain.