Miniature Dilatometer Based upon an AFM Piezocantilever

Abstract

We report on the development of a sensitive dilatometer based upon a AFM piezocantilever. This dilatometer has been tested at temperatures down to 25 mK and in magnetic fields up to 16 T. The layered heavy fermion superconductor $CeCoIn_5$ and its non-magnetic analog $LaRhIn_5$ have been measured to demonstrate its use in detecting phase transitions and quantum oscillations. In addition, using this dilatometer, a simultaneous multi-axis dilation measurement has been done. This compact dilatometer has many advantages such as its ability to measure very small samples with lengths at sub-mm levels, low temperature and field dependence, ability to rotate, and works well irrespective of being in a changing liquid or gas environment (i.e. within a flow cryostat or mixing chamber).