A dry cryogenic platform with picometre stability for nanoscale and quantum technologies
Abstract
Mechanically ultrastable environments within maintenance-free dry cryostats are needed for high-precision surface probe microscopy experiments, as well as next-generation quantum technologies. The most demanding applications require picometre-scale precision combined with multi-axis and millimetre-scale scanning range, while offering access to optical, microwave, and radiofrequency control and a vector magnetic field. We demonstrate a versatile platform for such systems based on passive and active vibration control for a commercial dry cryostat. Using a tunable optical microcavity as a sensor, we report vibration levels of 4.2 pm root mean square at 2.3 K over one hour without postselection. We further demonstrate drift-free long-term operation with stability below 8.6 pm RMS over 12 hours. Our system enables continuous and automated operation for next-generation high-throughput applications without the need for liquid helium infrastructure. Requiring only standard machining facilities and commercially available hardware, the design can be readily adapted for cryogenic optical, electrical and magnetic high-precision measurements across quantum science, surface science, and nanotechnology.
Related
- Realization of ZnSe-based Field-Effect Transistors operating at Cryogenic Temperatures as a Platform for Future Spin-Qubit Applications
- Cryogenic performance and long-term stability of Hamamatsu R8520-506 photomultiplier tubes in liquid argon
- MOTION, a liquid xenon time projection chamber platform for high voltage technologies in dark matter detectors
- From picometre displacements to a three-dimensional lattice gas of polar skyrmions
- Picometre-scale real-time drift correction in TEM and STEM by dynamic control of the specimen stage for atomic-resolution imaging
BibTeX
@misc{roth2026cryogenic,
title = {{A dry cryogenic platform with picometre stability for nanoscale and quantum technologies}},
author = {William G. Roth and Andreas Thurn and Alexander M. Stramma and Amit R. Dhawan and Jason M. Smith and Dorian A. Gangloff and Mete Atatüre},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.23407},
eprint = {2610.23407},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.23407},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A dry cryogenic platform with picometre stability for nanoscale and quantum technologies
AU - William G. Roth
AU - Andreas Thurn
AU - Alexander M. Stramma
AU - Amit R. Dhawan
AU - Jason M. Smith
AU - Dorian A. Gangloff
AU - Mete Atatüre
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.23407
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.23407
AB - Mechanically ultrastable environments within maintenance-free dry cryostats are needed for high-precision surface probe microscopy experiments, as well as next-generation quantum technologies. The most demanding applications require picometre-scale precision combined with multi-axis and millimetre-scale scanning range, while offering access to optical, microwave, and radiofrequency control and a vector magnetic field. We demonstrate a versatile platform for such systems based on passive and active vibration control for a commercial dry cryostat. Using a tunable optical microcavity as a sensor, we report vibration levels of 4.2 pm root mean square at 2.3 K over one hour without postselection. We further demonstrate drift-free long-term operation with stability below 8.6 pm RMS over 12 hours. Our system enables continuous and automated operation for next-generation high-throughput applications without the need for liquid helium infrastructure. Requiring only standard machining facilities and commercially available hardware, the design can be readily adapted for cryogenic optical, electrical and magnetic high-precision measurements across quantum science, surface science, and nanotechnology.
ER -