Primary thermometry triad at 6 mK in mesoscopic circuits.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 27659941.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/ncomms12908 and PMC identifier 5036159.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Quantum physics emerge and develop as temperature is reduced. Although mesoscopic electrical circuits constitute an outstanding platform to explore quantum behaviour, the challenge in cooling the electrons impedes their potential. The strong coupling of such micrometre-scale devices with the measurement lines, combined with the weak coupling to the substrate, makes them extremely difficult to thermalize below 10 mK and imposes in situ thermometers. Here we demonstrate electronic quantum transport at 6 mK in micrometre-scale mesoscopic circuits. The thermometry methods are established by the comparison of three in situ primary thermometers, each involving a different underlying physics. The employed combination of quantum shot noise, quantum back action of a resistive circuit and conductance oscillations of a single-electron transistor covers a remarkably broad spectrum of mesoscopic phenomena. The experiment, performed in vacuum using a standard cryogen-free dilution refrigerator, paves the way towards the sub-millikelvin range with additional thermalization and refrigeration techniques.