Cryogenic cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10627424-B2
Application number	US-201716304906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A cryogenic cooling system can include a cooling device and a sample holder. The system can also include a first optical member having a first aperture and a first collimator, where the first collimator is positioned to collimate the light. The system can further include a second optical member having a second aperture and a second collimator where the second collimator is positioned to collimate the light, the first optical member being mounted to the cooling device and the second optical member being mounted to the sample holder. When the sample holder is mounted to the cooling device, a relative position of the first optical member and the second optical member allows the light to pass between the first and second apertures via the first collimator and second collimator separated by a physical gap to allow optical communication between the first optical member and the second optical member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cryogenic cooling system for providing optical communication with a sample holder, the cryogenic cooling system comprising:
a cooling device and the sample holder, wherein the sample holder is removably mountable to the cooling device;
a first optical member comprising a first aperture and a first collimator, light being able to pass through the first aperture, wherein the first collimator is positioned to collimate the light when emitted from the first aperture; and
a second optical member comprising a second aperture and a second collimator, the light being able to pass through the second aperture, wherein the second collimator is positioned to collimate the light when emitted from the second aperture, the first optical member being mounted to the cooling device and the second optical member being mounted to the sample holder,
wherein when the sample holder is mounted to the cooling device, the first optical member and the second optical member are positioned relative to each other such that the light is able to pass between the first and second apertures via the first collimator and the second collimator, there being a physical gap between the first collimator and the second collimator thereby enabling optical communication between the first optical member and the second optical member.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling device and the sample holder, when coupled to each other and in use, are configured to cool a sample in the sample holder to a temperature of about 10 Kelvin (K) or below.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the cooling device and the sample holder, when coupled to each other and in use, are further configured to cool the sample in the sample holder to 4K or below.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the cooling device and the sample holder, when coupled to each other and in use, are further configured to cool the sample in the sample holder to 50 milliKelvin (mK) or below.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second collimator is configured to focus light towards the second aperture that is received from a distal side of the second collimator with respect to the second aperture.

6. The system according claim 1 , wherein the first collimator is configured to focus light towards the first aperture that is received from a distal side of the first collimator with respect to the first aperture.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first collimator and the second collimator are lenses.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein each lens is an aspheric lens.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first aperture and the second aperture is an end of an optical fibre.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein each optical fibre is connected to the respective optical member by a push-fit connector.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises at least one of a group consisting of a dilution refrigerator, a pre-cooled thermal mass, and a cryogen chamber, any of which the sample holder is able to be thermally coupled in use.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein each optical fibre is connected to the respective optical member by a screw-fit connector.

Assignees

• Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Ltd

Inventors

• Patton Mark

Classifications

• G01Q20/02

  by optical means · CPC title

• B01L2200/026

  Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details · CPC title

• B01L7/50 Primary

  Cryostats · CPC title

• G01N21/01

  Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation · CPC title

• G01N1/42

  Low-temperature sample treatment, e.g. cryofixation · CPC title