Magnetostriction measurements at milli-kelvin temperatures using a Fabry–Pérot interferometer

Abstract

This paper demonstrates an optical technique to measure magnetostrictive strain in a cryogenic environment using a Fabry–Pérot resonator spaced by crystal samples. Optical measurement techniques are calibration-free and highly sensitive. This technique was used to measure the magnetostrictive strain of neodymium gallate at a temperature of 49 mK to be λ = 1.3 × 10−5 at 3 T, with a sensitivity of 3.0 × 10−8. We highlight the interesting properties of the crystal’s magnetic ordering. The sensitivity of this technique was limited by the wavemeter used to measure the laser frequency, and significant improvements in the sensitivity should be possible.