Contract for the Supply and Installation of a Squid Magnetometer with Versatile Measurement Options to the University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham invites tenders for supply and installation of a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer with a versatile range of measurement options. The SQUID system and its measurement options will form the Midlands Mag Lab, a state of the art magnetometry facility created with the support of an EPSRC Strategic Equipment award. It will facilitate advanced magnetic materials characterisation by academic and industry users in the Midlands region and beyond. The equipment will be used to deliver new understanding of fundamental magnetic materials properties, as well as developing new technologies that exploit the magnetic properties of solids in the areas of quantum materials and technologies, energy materials and sustainable materials and recycling. The broad user base and diverse range of materials to be characterised with the equipment means that the equipment interface must be user friendly and reliable. General characteristics A SQUID magnetometry instrument that can be utilised for high-sensitivity and high throughput DC magnetometry measurements of polycrystalline, single-crystal and thin film magnetic materials. The instrument can also be utilised in AC magnetometry measurement mode. It is compatible with the range of measurement options as specified in Sections ii - vii below. Specification i. The magnetometer should 1) Be a SQUID-based magnetometer, 2) Have a magnetic moment sensitivity of at least 10-8 emu at low fields and at least 10-7 emu at the maximum field (see ii), 3) Measure a maximum magnetic moment up to 10 emu, 4) Enable measurement of samples of at least 5 mm in diameter, 5) Enable automated sample environment and measurement controls, with capability for programmable measurement sequences, 6) Operate through a stand-alone software with a user-friendly interface, 7) Be a wet system that consumes less than 5 L of liquid helium per day with a hold time longer than 10 days. ii. The magnetic field environment of the magnetometer should 8) Be produced by a superconducting solenoid, 9) Have a field range of at least -7 T to + 7 T, 10) Have a field homogeneity better than 100 ppm over a typical scan length, 11) Have a maximum field charging rate greater than 500 Oe/s, 12) Have a remanent field no greater than 5 Oe when set to zero field after applying the maximum field. iii. The temperature environment of the magnetometer should13) Enable continuous operation at any temperature from below 2 K up to 400 K using a liquid helium based wet cryostat, 14) Have a temperature stability of 0.5% or better over the entire measurement range, 15) Cool from room temperature to base in under 30 minutes. iv. A low-temperature option should 16) Be a 3He fridge, 17) Have a base temperature of less than 0.5 K, 18) Have a temperature stability of at least 1 %, 19) Cool from room temperature to base in under 3 hours, 20) Have a base temperature hold time greater than 24 hours, 21) Have a recondensation time of less than 30 mins, 22) Be fully compatible with the software and operation of the SQUID magnetometer. v. A high-temperature option should 23) Enable continuous temperature operation at all temperatures between 300 K and 1000 K, 24) Be fully compatible with the software and operation of the SQUID magnetometer. vi. A low-field option should 25) Cancel the residual magnetic field of the superconducting solenoid magnet to within 0.05 G of zero field, 26) Have a field resolution better than 0.002 G for applied fields in the range of 20 G, 27) Be fully compatible with the software and operation of the SQUID magnetometer. vii. An AC magnetometry measurement mode should 28) Have a response that is flat to within 5 % over the range 0.1 Hz - 1 kHz, 29) Have an amplitude of 0.1 - 10 Oe, 30) Have a magnetic moment sensitivity of at least 5 X 10-8 emu and accuracy better than 1 %, 31) Have a phase angle accuracy of at least 0.5, 32) Be fully compatible with the software and operation of the SQUID magnetometer, as well as the low- and high-temperature sample environments. viii. A high-pressure option should 33) Generate a maximum pressure of at least 1 GPa, 34) Generate minimal magnetic background to the measurement signal, 35) Enable measurement of samples with a diameter greater than 2 mm. ix. A sample rotation option should 36) Enable 360 sample rotation in 0.1 increments 37) Enable automated control of sample orientation using a stepper motor for sample rotation. x. An electric transport option should 38) Enable AC/DC resistance measurements, 39) Supply a continuous current between 10 nA and 100 mA, 40) Have a frequency range of at least 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz, 41) Enable application of a magnetic field in parallel and perpendicular to the bias direction, 42) Enable 2 and 4 wire measurements, 43) Enable magnetic measurements to be carried out with the same probe while applying a voltage.