Introducing the ProteoxS, a Compact Fridge with Rapid Cool-Down

Oxford Instruments launched the latest addition to its dilution refrigerator family, the ProteoxS, a compact fridge with rapid cool-down, fast turnaround, and no compromise on its low temperature performance. The ProteoxS is the smallest, lowest cost system, but like every other fridge in the range, can reach a base temperature of <10 mK, setting it apart from other systems currently on the market.

A market-leading fridge in one compact package, operated at the push of a button, yields benefits for both the user and the research workflow. It makes low temperature physics possible for university labs that have not previously invested in a system due to the cost or a concern that specialist infrastructure is required. The ProteoxS can be handled by one individual user and can be installed in smaller, low-ceiling environments.

Rapid sample exchange and fast device characterization make the ProteoxS an ideal fridge for a multi-user facility, such as a postdoctoral research lab where there is a requirement to run different experiments on a daily basis. The new system has extensive wiring capabilities and the option of integrated cold electronics and optical fibres. It is compatible with vector 6/1/1 T and solenoid magnets up to 12 T as well as Oxford Instruments NanoScience’s bottom loading mechanism, which reduces the sample cool-down time to eight hours. Like the ProteoxMX, the system can reach 30 K while operating the magnet, making it suitable for electron transport measurements.

The ProteoxS spans general research, photonics and sensing applications and is suitable for customers not focused on quantum computing scale-up, who require a high magnetic field or low temperature environment. The system is also suitable for those starting out in superconducting quantum computing who require only a handful of qubits or for spin-based quantum computing where the customer does not require a large plate size.

“The ProteoxS has huge potential for established researchers and postdocs alike and I am excited to see how the system will democratise access and open up more opportunities for low temperature and high magnetic field physics research,” comments Matt Martin, Managing Director of Oxford Instruments NanoScience. “A lower budget shouldn’t be a barrier to conducting ground-breaking low temperature research. The ProteoxS is a system for several markets, for several applications and types of users. It’s a small system with huge potential in its target segments.”