Design and construction of a desktop AC susceptometer using an Arduino and a Bluetooth for serial interface

Abstract

We designed and developed a desktop ac susceptometer for the characterization of materials. The system consists of a lock-in amplifier, an ac function generator, a couple of coils, a sample holder, a computer system with a designed software in freeware C++ code, and an Arduino card coupled to a bluetooth module. The Arduino/bluetooth serial interface allows the user to have a connection to almost any computer and thus avoids the problem of connectivity between the computer and the peripherals such as the lock-in amplifier and the function generator. The bluetooth transmitter/receiver used is a commercial device which is robust and fast. These new features reduce the size and increment the versatility of the susceptometer for it can be used with a simple laptop. To test our instrument we performed measurements on magnetic materials and show that the system is reliable at both room temperature and cryogenic temperatures (77 K). The instrument is suitable for any physics or engineering laboratory either for research or academic purposes.

Development of an in-line magnetometer for flow chemistry and its demonstration for magnetic nanoparticle synthesis

“…The precursor and base solution was mixed in a sample vial placed inside one of two (sample and reference) identical sensing coils in the centre of Helmholtz coils. 30,31 Recently more compact susceptometers were designed for in vivo monitoring of MNPs, [32][33][34][35][36] and lateral flow assays based on MNP quantification. [37][38][39] These studies demonstrate the possibility of characterising MNPs in real-time.…”

The Superconducting Transition and Mixed State of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.95}$: An Undergraduate Experiment

“…AC susceptometry is an experimental technique widely used in research [1][2][3][4][5] and in undergraduate laboratories [6][7][8]. AC susceptometers are sensitive, but inexpensive, instruments that can be built in-house [9,10].…”

The superconducting transition and mixed state of YBa2Cu3O6.95: an undergraduate experiment

“…AC susceptometry is an experimental technique widely used in research [1][2][3][4][5] and in undergraduate laboratories [6][7][8]. AC susceptometers are sensitive, but inexpensive, instruments that can be built in-house [9,10].…”