Commercial quartz oscillators of the tuning-fork type with a resonant frequency of ∼ 32 kHz have been investigated in helium liquids. The oscillators are found to have at best Q values in the range 105–106, when measured in vacuum below 1.5 K. However, the variability is large and for very low temperature operation the sensor has to be preselected. We explore their properties in the regime of linear viscous hydrodynamic response in normal and superfluid 3He and 4He, by comparing measurements to the hydrodynamic model of the sensor.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Eernisse E.P., Ward R.W., and Wiggins R.B., IEEE Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control 35, 323 (1988) – a survey of quartz resonator sensor technologies.
D. O. Clubb, O. V. L. Buu, R. M. Bowley, R. Nyman, and J. R. Owers-Bradley, J. Low Temp. Phys. 136, 1 (2004).
Rychen J., Ihn T., Studerus P., Herrmann A., Ensslin K., Hug H.J., van Schendel P.J.A., Güntherodt H. (2000). J., Rev. Sci. Instr. 71: 1695
M. Niemetz, H. Kerscher, and W. Schoepe, J. Low Temp. Phys. 126, 287 (2002). [W. Schoepe, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 095301 (2004)]–electrically driven magnetically levitated oscillating sphere in 4He-II.
H. A. Nichol, L. Skrbek, P. C. Hendry, and P. V. E. McClintock, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 244501 (2004). [Phys. Rev. E 70, 056307 (2004)]–electrically driven oscillating grid in 4He-II.
Yano H., Handa A., Nakagawa H., Obara K., Ishikawa O., Hata T., Nakagawa M., J. Low Temp. Phys. 138, 561 (2005)–vibrating wire resonator in 4He-II.
D. I. Bradley, D. O. Clubb, S. N. Fisher, A. M. Guénault, R. P. Haley, C. J. Matthews, G. R. Pickett, V. Tsepelin, and K. Zaki, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 035302 (2005). [ibid. 96, 035301 (2006)].
Bradley D.I., (2000). Phys. Rev. Lett. 84: 1252
J. Martikainen, J. Tuoriniemi, T. Knuuttila, and G. Pickett, J. Low Temp. Phys. 126, 139 (2002)–vibrating wire resonator in 3He – 4He solution.
K. Karrai and R. D. Grober, Tip-sample distance control for near-field scanning optical microscopes, in Near-Field Optics, M. A. Paesler and P. T. Moyer (ed.), Proc. SPIE 2535, 69 (1995).
K. Karrai, lecture notes (2000) at http://www.nano.physik.uni-muenchen.de/publikationen/Preprints/p-00-03_Karrai.pdf
Landau L.D., Lifshitz E.M., (1987). Fluid Mechanics. Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK
L. M. Milne-Thomson, Theoretical hydrodynamics, Dover Publications, New York (1996); H. Lamb, Hydrodynamics, Dover Publications, New York (1945).
Sader J.E., (1998). J. Appl. Phys. 84, 64
Martinez E.N., Esquinazi P., Luzuriaga J., (1990). Am. J. Phys. 58: 1163
Morishita M., Kuroda T., Sawada A., Satoh T., (1989). J. Low Temp. Phys. 76, 387
Winkelmann C.B., Collin E., Yu. Bunkov M., Godfrin H., (2004). J. Low Temp. Phys. 135, 3
Jäger J., Schuderer B., Schoepe W., (1995). Physica B 210, 201
V. D. Arp and R. C. McCarty, The Properties of Critical Helium Gas Technical Report, University Oregon (1998); R. D. McCarty, Thermophysical Properties of Helium-4 from 2 to 1500 K with Pressures to 1000 atm, Technical Note 631, National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland (1972).
Frank Pobell, (1996). Matter and Methods at Low Temperatures. Springer, Berlin, 2nd ed
Skyba P., Nyéki J., Gažo E., Makroczyová V., Bunkov Yu.M., Sergackov D.A., Feher A., (1997). Cryogenics 37, 293
König R., Esquinazi P., Pobell F., (1993). J. Low Temp. Phys. 90, 55
The fork used in the measurements at 29 bar pressure was manufactured in Japan and was obtained from RS Company under stock number 472-1161, brand Fox Electronics and manufacturer’s part number NC26. The fork used in the zero pressure measurements was manufactured in Taiwan and was obtained from RS Company under stock number 226–1437, brand C-MAC Frequency Products and manufacturer’s part number A103C.
A. I. Ahonen, M. Krusius, and M. A. Paalanen, J. Low Temp. Phys. 25, 421 (1976); P. J. Hakonen, M. Krusius, M. M. Salomaa, R. H. Salmelin, J. T. Simola, A. D. Gongadze, G. E. Vachnadze, and G. A. Kharadze, J. Low Temp. Phys. 76, 225 (1989).
Carless D.C., Hall H.E., Hook J.R., (1983). J. Low Temp. Phys. 50, 583
Dobbs E.R., (2000). Helium Three. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK
Roach P.R., Eckstein Y., Meisel M.W., Aniola-Jedrzejek L., (1983). J. Low Temp. Phys. 52, 433
In setup 1 the same type of fork was used as in 3He measurements at 29 bar pressure.23 In setup 2 the fork was made in China by Fronter Electronics, product number DT26.
Donnelly R.J., Barenghi C.F., (1998). J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 27: 1217
Donnelly R.J., (1991). Quantized vortices in Helium II. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Vinen W.F., Skrbek L., Nichol H.A., (2004). J. Low Temp. Phys. 135, 423
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Dedicated to former JLTP editor Frank Pobell.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Blaauwgeers, R., Blazkova, M., Človečko, M. et al. Quartz Tuning Fork: Thermometer, Pressure- and Viscometer for Helium Liquids. J Low Temp Phys 146, 537–562 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-006-9279-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-006-9279-4