Characteristics of Standard Capsule-Type PtCo Resistance Thermometers Between 0.65 K and 25 K

Standard capsule-type platinum–cobalt (PtCo) resistance thermometers represent one of the few types of resistance thermometers that have been developed for precise thermometry in the cryogenic temperature range. These thermometers remain sensitive even at 0.65 K, which is the lower limit of the ITS-90. Standard capsule-type rhodium–iron (RhFe) resistance thermometers are another type of resistance thermometer intended for use in this temperature range and have been well characterized and are the de facto standard worldwide. Existing data show RhFe resistance thermometers are more reproducible than the corresponding PtCo resistance thermometer. However, it has become difficult to obtain brand-new standard capsule-type RhFe resistance thermometers since their production was discontinued in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, information regarding the characteristics of standard capsule-type PtCo resistance thermometers is limited compared to that available for RhFe resistance thermometers. In this study, the characteristics of two standard capsule-type PtCo resistance thermometers between 0.65 K and 25 K were investigated. Because the resistance versus temperature curves for these thermometers over this temperature range exhibit two inflection points, setting break points near each of the inflection points was found to be beneficial during polynomial curve fitting to obtain mK-level precision. Special attention was paid to the reproducibility of these thermometers, and it was observed that the reproducibility of one of the thermometers within the cryogenic temperature range was ±0.5 mK over 6 years, while the second thermometer showed a larger variation. Similar trends in the resistance characteristics of the two thermometers were observed at the triple point of water.     

The specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of normal liquid3He

By observing the diffusion of a heat pulse along a 10-cm column of normal liquid³He with the aid of two vibrating wire thermometers, it has been possible to measure the heat capacityC and thermal conductivityK of the liquid in the temperature range fromT _C to 10 mK and at pressures of 0.21, 4.39, 9.97, 20.01, and 29.32 bar. By using a Pt NMR thermometer, an LCMN thermometer, and a³He melting curve thermometer calibrated using the melting curve given by Greywall in 1983, a temperature scale has been established and (1) it has been shown that this melting curve is consistent in the temperature range 5–22 mK with the Korringa law for the Pt thermometer with a Korringa constant of 29.8±0.2 sec mK, (2) departures have been observed from the Curie-Weiss law for LCMN at low temperatures, and (3) values of the superfluid transition temperature have been obtained that are about 4% lower than the Helsinki values. The measured heat capacities agree well with those of Greywall, but values ofKT are higher than those of Greywall and show more temperature dependence below 10 mK. The implications for the present results of the very different melting curve given by Greywall in 1985 are discussed in an Appendix.     

New Evaluation of $$T-T_{2000}$$ from 0.02 K to 1 K by Independent Thermodynamic Methods

This paper reports on the results achieved within the European Metrology Research Programme project “Implementing the new kelvin—InK” in the low-temperature range below 1 K. One of the main objectives of the InK project was the determination of new thermodynamic temperature data for comparison with the Provisional Low Temperature Scale 2000 (PLTS-2000), to provide reliable \(T-T_{2000}\) values. To this end, we have investigated three different types of primary thermometers: the current sensing noise thermometer, the primary magnetic field fluctuation thermometer and the Coulomb blockade thermometer. Based on a thorough investigation of the thermometers, detailed uncertainty budgets were established for the measurement of thermodynamic temperatures. Direct comparison measurements between all thermometers demonstrate the agreement of temperature measurements within less than 1 %. Our new \(T-T_{2000}\) data confirm the correctness of the PLTS-2000 in the temperature range from 20 mK up to about 700 mK with relative combined standard uncertainties better than 0.62 %.     

Very-low-temperature static magnetic properties of certain metals possibly useful as magnetic thermometers

The static magnetization of pure Al and Tl, and of Pt containing 70 ppm Fe, has been measured over the temperature range 10–400 mK. It is shown that the temperature-dependent magnetism of pure Al and Tl can be attributed to nuclear magnetism only, with calculated Curie constants 6.9×10^–8 and 1.7×10^–8 K, respectively. The magnetization of Pt containing 70 ppm Fe in a magnetic field of 10 Oe was found to obey a Curie-Weiss law over the entire temperature range studied. The adequacy of Cu, Al, Tl, and Pt as magnetic thermometers in the millidegree temperature region is discussed.This research was supported in part by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission under Contract No. AT(04-3)-34, P.A. 143.     

Comparison System for the Calibration of Capsule-Type Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers at NMIJ/AIST

A new comparison system has been constructed using a Gifford- McMahon type cryogenic refrigerator for the calibration of capsule-type standard platinum resistance thermometers (CSPRTs) below 273.16 K at the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ). The system can compare six CSPRTs at once. A gold-plated comparison block, in which CSPRTs are mounted for calibration, is made from oxygen-free high-conductivity copper. The standard uncertainties related to the temperature control of the system are estimated to be 0.04 mK. The calibrated values for CSPRTs and a rhodium–iron resistance thermometer obtained using the comparison system are in good agreement with those obtained by the direct realization of the low-temperature fixed points of the ITS-90 within the combined standard uncertainty for the calibration using the comparison system.     

Study of standard thermometers and their reproduction of the λ point in liquid helium

Self-calibrated resistance thermometers to be used as standards have been investigated. The heat exchange of the sensor coil with liquid helium per unit coil surface area at 0.3 K is 12 times better than that of a conventional gas-filled thermometer. The exchange is due to Kapitza surface thermal resistance. The λ point in liquid helium filling of the thermometer is reproducible to within 0.1 mK. Translated from Izmeritel’naya Tekhnika, No. 7, pp. 50–52, July, 1999     

Development of Chinese Standard Type of Rhodium-Iron Resistance Thermometer

New rhodium alloy wires with 0.52 % atomic of iron have been drawn, and several batches of RhFe thermometer with strain-free construction and helium-filled platinum capsule have been made using these new alloy wires and old alloy wires which were made in the 1980s in China. In one of the constructions, the coil of wire is inserted into twisted glass tubes, and in the other, it is laid in grooves on a fused-silica crossed frame. The resistance versus temperature relationship and interpolating characteristic of Chinese RhFe thermometer are similar to those of Tinsley 5187U thermometer from 1.5 K to 27 K. The resistance changes of most thermometers are less than that of equivalent to 0.2 mK at 4.5 K after they are exposed to fifty thermal cycles from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. This standard type of rhodium-iron resistance thermometer is now commercially available. Instead of the regular annealing temperature, which is \(750\,^{\circ }\)C, two batches of RhFe thermometers are made with the annealing temperature of \(850\,^{\circ }\)C and \(950\,^{\circ }\)C. The interpolating characteristics of RhFe thermometers will be studied to find new calibration method.     

Development of Precision Rh–0.5 at%Fe Thermometers of Chinese Production: Further Tests

Following the practical impossibility to obtain new precision Rh–0.5 at%Fe thermometers over the past years, re-starting the commercial production of such thermometers in Yunnan (China) was explored by INRIM in cooperation with NIM and with the help of INTiBS for prototype characterization. The present aim is to obtain a stability of the new thermometers at the level of ±1 mK at 4.2 K. In 2008, a new batch of eight prototypes was produced. This paper reports the results of the measurements on the full characteristics of these prototypes in the range from 2.5 K to 25 K, which confirms a similarity to the typical characteristics of previous commercial RhFe thermometers, and of the effect of thermal cycling, showing for six out of eight thermometers, a stability better than ±1 mK (limited by the measurement expanded uncertainty of ≈0.8 mK) at 4.2 K and up to ≈10 K, and better than ±0.01 % T in the range from 2.5 K to 25 K. These results indicate that production problems on these commercially available thermometers are basically resolved at the aimed level of stability. Further studies are foreseen to improve production uniformity and to check if stability may actually be better by using a test apparatus of sub-millikevin uncertainty.     

Measurements of absolute temperature below 0.75 K using a Josephson-junction noise thermometer

In order to extend the international temperature scale of 1990, ITS-90, below its lower limit of 0.65 K, we have developed a temperature scale ranging from 6 to 750 mK. Values of absolute temperature are defined on this scale by an R-SQUID noise thermometer. A review is given here of the decade of our experience in the operation of this thermometer and in modeling its systematic errors. The reproducibility of noise temperature values was assessed using superconductive fixed points and the melting curve of³He. To assess the accuracy of the noise thermometer, it was compared with another absolute thermometer (based on nuclear orientation) at the lowest temperatures and with an internationally recognized scale above 0.5 K. The noise thermometer temperatures were used to calibrate two paramagnetic salt thermometers, the result being the construction of a temperature scale that is smooth to approximately 0.01%. On the basis of these comparisons, temperature values defined by the R-SQUID are deemed to be reproducible to within 0.1% and accurate to within 0.3%.Retired.     

PPRTs偏差方程外推至-189.3442~156.5985℃温区的研究

由于ITS-90定义固定点数量少且温度间隔大,基于偏差方程的外推是解决超出温区范围的温度计标定问题的有效方法。实验对16支精密铂电阻温度计在超出温区范围标定,验证了固定点法和比较法偏差方程从窄温区范围外推至-189.3442~156.5985℃温区的可行性。实验结果表明:-38.8344~0.01℃温区新偏差方程外推至 -189.3442℃ 的平均最大差值为5.2mK;0~29.7646℃温区偏差方程外推至156.5985℃的平均最大差值为 2.0mK;基于比较法的偏差方程在-189.3442~156.5985℃温区的平均差值小于3.3mK。3种方程均提高了精密铂电阻温度计在超出温区范围的外推精度,为星载黑体辐射源的量值溯源提供了数据支撑。     

AC-Mode Short-Wavelength IR Radiation Thermometers for Measurement of Ambient Temperatures

Recent improvements in the fabrication of short-wave infrared (SW-IR) quantum detectors have opened a new era in radiation thermometry. Ambient and higher temperatures can be measured with low uncertainties using thermoelectrically (TE) cooled extended-InGaAs (E-IGA) and short-wave photovoltaic-HgCdTe (SW-MCT) detectors. Since these detectors have low cut-off wavelengths (2.5 μm and 2.8 μm, respectively), they do not respond past cut-off and are less sensitive to the background infrared radiation, resulting in orders of magnitude lower background noise than traditional broad-band infrared detectors such as cryogenically cooled quantum detectors or thermal detectors. At the same time, the cut-off is far enough in the infrared to obtain a large enough signal from the source of interest. Because of the low detector cut-off wavelength, traditional glass-based optics can be used in the radiation thermometers. A chopper-produced alternating-current (AC) signal was used to measure low temperatures by separating the AC signal from the background-radiation-produced direct-current (DC) signal and its fluctuations. Design considerations and characteristics of a newly developed SW-IR radiation thermometer are discussed. A noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of < 3mK for a 50°C blackbody was measured. At the human body temperature of 36°C, the obtained NETD of ~10mK indicates that these detectors can be used in non-contact temperature measurements to replace thermopile- or pyroelectric-based radiation thermometers.     

PdMn and PdFe: New Materials for Temperature Measurement Near 2 K

Interest in the critical dynamics of superfluid ⁴ He in microgravity conditions has motivated the development of new high resolution thermometry technology for use in space experiments near 2 K. We have developed a magnetic thermometer using dilute magnetic alloys of Mn or Fe dissolved in a pure Pd matrix, similar to previous thermometers used at ultra-low temperatures. These metallic thermometers are easy to fabricate, chemically inert, and can have a low thermal resistance to the stage to be measured. Also, the Curie temperature can be varied by changing the concentration of Fe or Mn, making them available for use in a wide temperature range. The derivative of the magnetic susceptibility was measured for PdMn and PdFe between 1.5 K and 4 K using a SQUID magnetometer. These measurements, as well as preliminary noise and drift measurements, show them to have sub-nK resolution with a drift of less than 10 ^–13 K/s.     

Thermal Characteristics of a Sealed Glass-Water Heat Pipe from 0?��C to 60?��C

Investigations into the thermal characteristics of glass-water heat pipes from 0 °C to 60 °C were carried out at the National Institute of Metrology (NIM), China. In this paper, studies on a glass-water heat pipe with four thermometer wells are described. The experimental results indicated that the temperature stability and uniformity of the thermometer well of the glass-water heat pipes are within several tenths of a millikelvin when the heat pipes are immersed in a constant-temperature liquid bath, since they have a highly effective thermal conductivity. They are able to maintain a constant temperature by the absorption or liberation of the latent heat of evaporation to attenuate temperature fluctuations of the surroundings. Also, above 0 °C to 30 °C, the temperature stability of the thermometer well of the glass-water heat pipe is better than 0.1 mK for approximately 16 h. The maximum temperature differences among the thermometer wells are less than 5.5 mK when the water heat pipes operate in the range from 0 °C to 60 °C. Therefore, water heat pipes are very promising to improve the performance of liquid baths and to accurately calibrate thermometers by comparison.     

Sapphire Whispering Gallery Thermometer

An innovative sapphire whispering gallery thermometer (SWGT) is being explored at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a potential replacement for a standard platinum resistance thermometer (SPRT) for industrial applications that require measurement uncertainties of ≤ 10 mK. The NIST SWGT uses a synthetic sapphire monocrystalline disk configured as a uniaxial, dielectric resonator with whispering gallery modes between 14 GHz and 20 GHz and with Q-factors as large as 90,000. The prototype SWGT stability at the ice melting point (0°C) is ≤ 1 mK with a frequency resolution equivalent to 0.05 mK. The prototype SWGT measurement uncertainty (k= 1) is 10 mK from 0°C to 100°C for all five resonance modes studied. These results for the SWGT approach the capabilities of industrial resistance thermometers. The SWGT promises greatly increased resistance to mechanical shock relative to SPRTs, over the range from −196°C to 500°C while retaining the low uncertainties needed by secondary calibration laboratories. The temperature sensitivity of the SWGT depends upon a well-defined property (the refractive index at microwave frequencies) and the thermal expansion of a pure material. Therefore, it is expected that SWGTs can be calibrated over a wide temperature range using a reference function, along with deviations measured at a few fixed points. This article reports the prototype SWGT stability, resolution, repeatability, and the temperature dependence of five whispering gallery resonance frequencies in the range from 0°C to 100°C. Certain commercial equipments, instruments or materials are identified in this article in order to adequately specify the experimental procedure. Such identification does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the NIST.     

Realization of Low-Temperature Fixed Points of the ITS-90 at NMIJ/AIST

A new model of sealed cells with three thermometer wells for calibration of capsule-type thermometers at low-temperature fixed points of the International Temperature Scale of 1990 has been developed at the National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ). The melting curves of Ar and O₂ obtained using the new cells show very flat plateaux and a linear temperature dependence as a function of the inverse liquid fraction (1/F) over the range 1/F = 1 to 1/F = 20 with a narrow melting curve width of 0.1 mK. The melting curves of Ne obtained with the new cell also show very flat plateaux and approximately linear temperature dependence versus 1/F and a narrow melting curve width of 0.1 mK, though with a slight concave structure at high 1/F. The melting temperatures with the new cells agree with previous NMIJ sealed cells within 10 μK, which is similar to the reproducibility of the realization of the triple points at NMIJ. The source dependence of the triple-point temperature of Ne was investigated by filling two of the new cells from different sources of Ne. The difference in the realized triple point temperatures between the two sources is 0.031 mK, consistent with that estimated from isotope analysis. The uncertainties in the calibration of standard platinum resistance thermometers at the low-temperature fixed points are summarized. The uncertainty of the calibration at the triple point of e-H₂ has been reduced to about one-third of its value without the correction by making the isotopic correction on the basis of the technical annex for the ITS-90 in the mise en pratique for the definition of the kelvin.     

Thermometer working standard for temperatures below 0.5 K

We describe standard resistance thermometers made of a rhodium-iron alloy designed for operation in the temperature range 0.02-2 K. The sensitive element of the thermometer is filled with liquid helium-4 or helium3, which improves the heat exchange by several orders of magnitude. This makes it possible to significantly increase the measuring current and to use conventional technology for precise measurement of resistance.Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 12, pp. 29–31, December, 1995.This work was done with the support of the International Science Foundation (grant No. J 21100).     

Low-Magnetoresistance RuO2–Al2O3 Thin-Film Thermometer and its Application

Thermometers consisting of RuO₂–Al₂O₃ composite thin films were prepared by RF sputtering. It was found that different electrode-patterning techniques have dissimilar effects on the magnetoresistance (MR) and the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). In general, the thermometers with electrodes fabricated by photo-resist lithography exhibit superior performance compared to those with electrodes prepared using a metal mask. By adjusting the relative compositions of RuO₂ and Al₂O₃, the thermometers can be applied to a wide temperature range from 60 mK to 500 K. In a pulsed magnetic field up to 55 T, the MR at 4.2 K of a typical thermometer for the temperature range from 1.4 K to 300 K increases linearly with magnetic field to a maximum of ~15 %, corresponding to a temperature deviation of ~−4 %. As frequency increases from dc to 1.9 MHz, the MR decreases from  −13 % to ~ − 0.5 % at T = 1.3 K and H = 55 T. By integrating the thermometer with a heater on a sapphire chip, a micro-calorimeter can be developed and successfully used to measure the heat capacity of small mg-sized sample. The RuO₂–Al₂O₃ composite film can also be employed as an infrared bolometer operated at room temperature.     

PVTx Measurements for a H2O + Methanol Mixture in the Subcritical and Supercritical Regions

PVTx relationships for a H₂O + CH₃OH mixture (0.36 mole fraction of methanol) were measured in a range of temperatures from 373 to 673 K and pressures between 0.042 and 90.9 MPa. The density ranged from 37.76 to 559.03 kg · m^–3. Measurements were made with a constant-volume piezometer surrounded by a precision thermostat. The temperature inside the thermostat was maintained uniform within 5 mK. The volume of the piezometer (32.68 ± 0.01 cm³) was previously calibrated from well-established PVT values of pure water (IAPWS), and was corrected for both temperature and pressure expansions. Uncertainties of the density, temperature, and pressure measurements are estimated to be 0.16%, 30 mK, and 0.05%, respectively. The uncertainty in composition is 0.001 mole fraction. The method of isochoric and isothermal break points was used to extract the phase transition temperatures, pressures, and densities for each measured isochore and isotherm. The values of the critical temperature, pressure, and density of the mixture were also determined from PVTx measurements in the critical region.     

Realization of the Triple Point of Water in Metallic Sealed Cells at the LNE-INM/CNAM: A Progress Report

A miniature metallic cell for the water triple point (TPW, temperature 273.16 K) was developed for capsule-type thermometer calibrations for realizations with adiabatic calorimetry techniques. The LNE-INM/Cnam previously developed a copper cell for the water triple point and the techniques for cleaning, filling, and sealing. On the basis of previous work, a new copper cell prototype for the TPW was developed and filled at the LNE-INM/Cnam. Measurements were performed using an appropriate calorimeter and a comparison block containing several thermometers. Preliminary results show a scatter of the temperatures measured at the phase transition of the order of 0.2 mK when measurements are repeated over a short-term period (1 month). A positive drift in the phase transition temperature of about 30μK·month⁻¹ was observed over several months. Studies are in progress to improve the cell, to reduce the reproducibility uncertainty to less than 0.1 mK and to have a phase transition with better temporal stability.