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Optistat®CF liquid helium (LHe) continuous flow optical spectroscopy cryostat
Sample in exchange gas

OptistatCF liquid helium (LHe) continuous flow optical spectroscopy cryostat

Optistat®CF liquid helium (LHe) continuous flow optical spectroscopy cryostat

The OptistatCF is a liquid helium cooled, top loading continuous flow (CF) cryostat enabling optical spectroscopy experiments that require:

  • Base temperature down to 2.3 K
  • Large 20 mm diameter sample space
  • Quick sample change via top loading, with sample in exchange gas
  • Generous f1 radial optical access with 4 radial windows and 1 axial window, with a wide range of window materials available
  • Operation in any orientation

Operation

The OptistatCF works on a continuous flow principle using an oil-free pump to draw liquid helium from a storage dewar, along a transfer tube, to the heat exchanger ("pull" mode). If the noise and vibration from the pump are undesirable then helium liquid can be pushed through the heat exchanger by pressurising the storage vessel ("push" mode).

Temperature control is achieved by a combination of manual helium flow control and power dissipated in an electrical heater, regulated using an ITC601 temperature controller.

The OptistatCF will also operate with liquid nitrogen (LN2) as coolant for measurements to 80 K.

Changing the sample simply involves removing the sample rod, maintaining over-pressure of the exchange gas, replacing the sample and inserting the sample rod back into the cryostat. There is no need to break the insulating vacuum or warm the cryostat up. The resulting sample change times are very short, typically few minutes.

Options

  • Static or dynamic exchange gas
    • Choose the static exchange gas version to cool the sample by conduction only and exclude liquid helium from the optical path
    • Choose the dynamic exchange gas option to cool the sample directly
  • Windows
    • A wide range of window materials can be fitted to the OptistatCF to meet specific spectroscopy applications
    • Special windows with non-parallel faces and anti-reflection coatings are available
    • Additional or replacement windows are available via the Oxford Instruments Direct - Cryospares® on-line catalogue
  • Pump options
    • A simple oil-free vane pump GF4 is supplied for operation to 3.4 K
    • Lower temperatures to 2.3 K require an EPS40 single stage rotary pump; this also extends the base temperature for the dynamic exchange gas version to 1.6 K
  • Temperature control and options
    • Choose either a compact benchtop, single-channel ITC601 or the flexible single- or 3-channel ITC503
    • Both static and dynamic exchange gas OptistatCF are available with the upper temperature limit extended to 500 K
  • LHe transfer
    • Standard TTL200 lightweight liquid helium transfer tube
    • Choose a Low Loss transfer tube LLT600 to further minimise liquid helium consumption. An auto needle valve can be fitted to the LLT which allows the ITC503 temperature controller to optimise the helium flow rate

See also the OptistatCF-V for this cryostat with sample in vacuum.

Software control

  • Oxford Instruments electronics products are controllable through the OxSoft software using RS232, ISOBUS or GPIB interfaces
  • LabVIEW virtual instruments are provided for Oxford Instruments electronics products to allow full PC-based control and monitoring. These can be integrated into a complete LabVIEW data acquisition system

The Optistat range of LHe and LN2 cryostats for optical spectroscopy

The Optistat range of LHe and LN2 cryostats for optical spectroscopy

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OI Direct - Cryospares®

Oxford Instruments Direct Cryospares on-line catalogue

Browse our on-line Oxford Instruments Direct - Cryospares catalogue for cryogenic spares, accessories and consumables, with over 1,000 items. Click here (opens in new window) »

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