An overview of

Cryogenic Thermometry

Karthikeyan Subbu
M.Tech (Cryogenic Engineering)
Roll No. 10CR60R11
Autumn Semester Seminar-I
Indian Institute Of Technology Kharagpur
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 International Temperature Scales

• Temperature is defined as
a thermodynamic state
variable.
• ∫ T-1dQ =0
• Lord Kelvin 1854: absolute
zero point exists for
systems in
thermodynamic
equilibrium.
• T0= -273.15°C

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 Overview of thermometer types
• Primary Thermometer
Temperature measurement is possible
without any prior calibration based on
fundamental law of Physics.
• Secondary Thermometer
Temperature measurement is calibrated via
other available thermometer.

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 Primary Thermometer

• Gas Thermometry
• Vapor-Pressure Thermometry
• Noise Thermometers
• Superconducting Fixed-Point Thermometers
• Nuclear-Orientation Thermometers

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 Secondary Thermometer
• Resistance Thermometry
• Capacitance Thermometry
• Thermocouples
• RTDs (Resistive Temperature Devices)
• Thermistors
• Integrated Circuits
• Optical pyrometers
• Infrared thermometers

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 Gas Thermometry

Ideal gas law

PV = nRT

T (K) =f( P ) / T (K) =f(V)

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The Two Types Of Gas Thermometers

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 Useful In calibration of secondary thermometer

 It is one of the device used to establish the ITS-90

High precision Gas Thermometry is very tedious

thus it is used mostly by National laboratories

Good up to the range of 4.2k

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Noise Thermometer
Only fundamental thermodynamic relations are needed
to Calculate the magnitude of the thermodynamic
fluctuations
Based on the statistical thermal motion of the
conduction Electrons in resistors=> “Brownian motion”
It is UR = (4kB.T.Δf)1/2
SQUIDs good for amplifying

 <I2N>= (4kBT/R)(1+ω2τ2)-1
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Noise Thermometer

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Noise spectra taken in the region from 1 K to
300 μK.
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 Temperatures obtained from the current sensing noise thermometer vs.
temperatures from a 3He melting pressure thermometer (•) and a platinum
NMR thermometer (◦)

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 Noise Thermometer

• Has a very high resolution of the order of nK

• The typical dimensions of the CSNT is
approximately 2X3mm2
• R and L are chosen to fit the bandwidth
requirement it is usually L & R of the order of
2nH and 1mΩ

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 Resistance Thermometers

• Basic Theory
The electrical conductivity of a metal depends
on the movement of electrons through its crystal
lattice. Due to thermal excitation, the electrical
resistance of a conductor varies according to its
temperature and this forms the basic principals of
resistance thermometry.
1. Positive temperature coefficient
2. Negative temperature coefficient
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Temperature dependence of few materials

From the graph we

can see that most
of the metal are
PTC e.g. Platinum
Similarly the
semiconductors
like germanium
shows a NTC

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 Simple schematic diagram for the
measurement of resistance thermometer

Wheatstone Bridge
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 Types of Resistance Thermometers

• Metals
• Semiconductors(doped)
• Carbon Resistors
• Thermoelectric

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Capacitance thermometry

Capacitance thermometry works on the

principle of variation in the dielectric
susceptibility of the material filled inside the
capacitor .
Depending on the material property the
dielectric constant varies i.e. either increases or
decreases which can be measured and the
output is displayed.

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Capacitance v/s temperature graph

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Capacitance v/s temperature graph

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CAPACITANCE V/S MAGNETIC FIELD

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 Capacitance thermometry
• Capacitance thermometry has a numerous
advantage over the resistance thermometry
• Capacitance thermometry gives a good resolution
over the resistance thermometry
• Comparatively capacitance thermometer are field
independent i.e. its is not affected by the magnetic or
electric field in the surrounding of the measurement.

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 References
• Springerlink.com
• Science directonline.com
• IEEE manuals.com
• Wikipedia

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 Summary

• Outline of thermometry
• Four important thermometer of cryogenic
importance
• Questions

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Thanks

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