Oxford Instruments NanoScience
General introduction
At Oxford Instruments NanoScience, we design, supply and support market-leading research tools that enable quantum technologies, nanotechnology research, advanced materials and nano device development in the physical sciences. Our tools support research to the atomic scale through creation of high performance, cryogen free, low temperature, and high magnetic environments. This is based upon our core technologies in low and ultra-low temperatures, high magnetic fields and system integration, with increasing levels of experimental and measurement readiness.
Oxford Instruments NanoScience is a part of Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Ltd within the Oxford Instruments group. Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Ltd was formed focussing on high technology instrumentation for customers in industry, research, academia and healthcare. It is the internationally leading industrial vendor of nanoscale tools delivering advanced applications in physics, chemistry, life science and materials science.
Oxford Instruments as a group uses innovation to turn smart science into world-class products that support research and industry to address the great challenges of the 21st Century. We are proud to be recognised as the leaders in what we do and for the difference we make in the world.
Oxford Instruments has its headquarter in Abingdon, England, with offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, China, Japan and India. The company was founded by Sir Martin Wood in 1959, to manufacture superconducting magnets for use in scientific research. It was the first commercial spin-out company from the University of Oxford and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1983. It had a pioneering role in the development of magnetic resonance imaging, providing the first superconducting magnets for this application, and manufactured the first commercial MRI whole body scanner in Oxford in 1980. The group companies manufacture a wide range of equipment including: tools for quality control, elemental analysis, metal identification, coating thickness measurement, rock core analysis; cryogenic systems for fundamental physics research; detectors for use on electron microscopes for chemical and structural analysis; manipulators and gas injection systems for SEM and FIB microscopes; plasma etch and deposition tools.
Role in QMiCS
To propagate quantum microwaves between two dilution fridges in two different laboratories without adding thermal noise will require a QLAN microwave cable. OINS primary role will focus on developing the cryogenic system and the associated millikevin link connecting two dilution refrigerators. OINS will start by developing a dedicated dilution fridge that can be linked to another fridge. Factory tests will be performed on the fridge and the developed cryolink before installing the cryogenic setup at WMI. As a prototype system, OINS installs one such custom fridge and the link in 6 m distance from an existing, homemade fridge on WMI’s premises for permanent use. OINS supports WMI in interfacing the 6 m long link with this existing fridge. A superconducting coax/waveguide forms the actual QLAN cable. Scalability to longer distances is investigated. OINS targets commercial exploitation of the cryogenic link technology and will work with partners on the roadmap for real-life applications of quantum microwave computing, communication and sensing applications.