SQUID measurements for the quantum domain

量子力学是我们最深奥的物理理论。我们对量子世界的理解的革命，特别是我们对材料量子特性的理解，使我们能够制造计算机和智能手机，以及各种最先进的医疗仪器。这些依赖于基态材料的量子特性，比如核磁共振扫描仪中的超导体或风力涡轮机中的磁铁。下一代量子材料将来自从事材料发现、合成新化合物或制造新结晶固体晶体的大学实验室；这是英国特别强大的一个领域，在这个领域有大量的活动。为了表征新发现的材料，有必要测量它们的磁性，至关重要的是，这通常需要在非常低的温度（低于1开尔文）下进行。这是为了减少由热波动引起的随机性，并允许揭示真正的基态性质。虽然磁性测量系统通常在英国的许多大学实验室中使用（并且存在容量问题，因为英国研究小组对此类仪器的需求非常高），但该提案旨在解决能力问题，即需要进入低于1开尔文的状态。新设备将能够运行到大约400mk，几乎比传统系统低一个数量级，因此将允许研究新的量子基态，并使研究进入量子领域。

Quantum mechanics is our most profound physical theory. Revolutions in our understanding of the quantum world, and in particular our understanding of the quantum properties of materials, have allowed us to build computers and smartphones, as well as all kinds of state-of-the-art medical instrumentation. These rely on the quantum properties of materials in their ground state, such as the superconductors in an MRI scanner or the magnets in a wind turbine. The next generation of quantum materials will come from university laboratories which engage in materials discovery, synthesising new compounds or fabricating crystals of new crystalline solids; this is an area in which the UK is particularly strong and in which there is significant activity. In order to characterise the newly discovered materials, it is necessary to measure their magnetic properties and, crucially, this often needs to be carried out at very low temperature (sub-1 Kelvin). This is in order to reduce the randomness that is induced by thermal fluctuations and allow the true ground state properties to be revealed. Although magnetic property measurement systems are commonly used in many university laboratories is the UK (and there is a capacity issue because the demand for such instruments by UK research groups is extremely high) this proposal seeks to solve a capability issue, namely the need to enter the sub-1 Kelvin regime. The new equipment will be able to operate down to about 400 mK, nearly an order of magnitude lower than in conventional systems and will therefore allow the investigation of novel quantum ground states and enable the studies to enter the quantum domain.