The SuperCDMS experiment at SNOLAB is no stranger to cold temperatures. They operate at nearly absolute zero because the colder the germanium and silica crystals are, the better the chance of observing a vibration from a particle interaction. By designing experiments to operate at colder and colder temperatures, the SuperCDMS team has achieved new levels of sensitivity.
Late this fall the collaboration reached a milestone when they cooled their dilution refrigerator down to just 5.3 millikelvin. A specialized piece of equipment using helium-3 and helium -4 isotopes along with twisting gold and copper tubes, the SuperSCDMS fridge is as unique as it looks. The fridge is currently running at Fermilab and the planning for its journey to SNOALB is now underway.
Read the full story from Fermilab here: https://news.fnal.gov/2020/01/its-chilly-here-lowest-temperature-at-fermilab-reached-in-equipment-for-dark-matter-experiment/