A versatile and compact capacitive dilatometer

TL;DR

This paper presents a simple, versatile capacitive dilatometer capable of high-resolution thermal expansion and magnetostriction measurements across a wide temperature range, suitable for small samples and various environments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel open-architecture design of a capacitive dilatometer that is easy to construct, calibrate, and operate for diverse low-temperature measurements.

Findings

Operates successfully from 300 K to below 1 K

Achieves a resolution of about 0.05 angstroms

Compatible with various cryogenic systems and magnetic fields

Abstract

We describe the design, construction, calibration, and operation of a relatively simple differential capacitive dilatometer suitable for measurements of thermal expansion and magnetostriction from 300 K to below 1 K with a low-temperature resolution of about 0.05 angstroms. The design is characterized by an open architecture permitting measurements on small samples with a variety of shapes. Dilatometers of this design have operated successfully with a commercial physical property measurement system, with several types of cryogenic refrigeration systems, in vacuum, in helium exchange gas, and while immersed in liquid helium (magnetostriction only) to temperatures of 30 mK and in magnetic fields to 45 T.