New Cooling Device Reaches Record-Low Temperatures for Quantum Research

Published September 17, 2026

A schematic of the experimental cell shows copper powder integrated into the demagnetization and sample stages.

At the MagLab, scientists designed and implemented the "in-cell" magnetic refrigeration to achieve sub-10 mK temperatures in a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator. The developed approach requires no modifications to the existing commercial cryostat and, therefore, provides a practical route for cooling nanoelectronic materials and devices to sub-5 mK temperatures in finite magnetic fields. As a result, the accessible parameter space for ultralow temperature quantum experiments is significantly expanded, enabling broader adoption by the research community.

What is the finding

Researchers developed a compact “in-cell” magnetic cooling device that can be installed inside a standard cryogen-free cryostat. The system cooled electrons in quantum devices to as low as 2 mK, only a tiny fraction of a degree above absolute zero, and maintained temperatures below 5 mK for extended periods while operating in magnetic fields up to 14 tesla within a standard cryogen‑free cryostat using only 66g of copper powder in liquid³He.

Why is this important?

The compact, plug‑and‑play magnetic refrigerator delivers sub‑10 millikelvin temperatures inside a standard cryogen‑free cryostat, enabling researchers to probe exotic quantum phases in graphene, GaAs, and other nanostructures in the presence of a strong magnetic field. Since the design fits into existing platforms, it lowers infrastructure costs and accelerates time‑to‑experiment, paving the way for scalable quantum‑device development. This advance in cooling will improve the study of subtle quantum responses, ultimately providing pathways to longer quantum coherence times across a wider, more accessible range of temperatures and fields.

Who did the research?

Alexander M. Donald¹, Nicolas Silva¹, Christopher J. Ollmann¹, Roch Schanen², Chao Huan¹, Sangyun Lee¹, Dominique Laroche¹, Richard P. Haley², Mark W. Meisel¹, Rasul Gazizulin¹

¹National High Magnetic Field Laboratory High B/T Facility and University of Florida; ²Lancaster University, UK

Why did they need the MagLab?

The MagLab High B/T Facility supplies the simultaneous high magnetic field and ultralow‑temperature environment that makes efficient demagnetization cooling possible, a key requirement for reaching sub‑5 mK temperatures while a sizable magnetic field is present.. The facility also provides the specialized cryogenic infrastructure and exceptionally low electrical noise environment needed for these highly sensitive measurements, resources that are not typically available at universities or other home institutions.