Applications | Mössbauer spectroscopy

Lake Shore has a number of proven designs available for Mössbauer spectroscopy. These systems have been integrated with Mössbauer spectrometers from Science Engineering and Education Co. (SEE Co.) — formerly WEB Research Co. — with excellent results.

Mechanical coolers come with a special vibration isolation stand for easy integration into the laboratory. No independent mounting stands need to be constructed in the laboratory — the as-shipped configuration is ready for operation.

All designs have the sample located in exchange gas or flowing vapor for uniform sample cooling. Powder samples, or other samples that are difficult to thermally anchor, are evenly cooled because the system does not rely on the thermal conductivity of the sample for cooling. This approach has the added advantage of fast sample exchange.

Existing designs include:

Shown are Fe₅₇ Mössbauer spectra (dots) of a 25 µm iron metal foil at 298 with the CCR off and on. The velocity scan of ±2 mm/s covers only the innermost lines of the iron metal sextet. Also shown are least squares fits (lines) of a symmetric quadrupole pair with Lorentzian line shapes to each spectrum. The results of the fits were linewidth estimates of 0.234 mm/s with the CCR off and 0.241 mm/s with the CCR on. The uncertainty in the line width estimates due to the counting statistics is ±0.002 mm/s.

NOTE: Data provided by Science Engineering & Education Co. (SEE Co. — formerly Web Research Co.). Special thanks to Professor Darby Dyar, Mount Holyoke College.

What is Mössbauer spectroscopy used for, and when is cryogenic cooling required?

Mössbauer spectroscopy enables physicists and material researchers to study material properties at the atomic level. Studies can involve the magnetic property investigation, phase transition analysis, or measuring minute energy levels and interactions within electronic materials. Because certain materials and device phenomena can be best observed at very low temperatures, integrating a Mossbauer spectrometer into a cryogenic environment is often required for some experiments. Additionally, cooling samples to cryogenic temperatures helps to ensure stability for measurements performed over time. Cryostats like Lake Shore’s top-loading CCS-800 with vibration isolation are commonly used for cryogenic cooling in Mössbauer spectroscopy due to their uniform cooling of samples without introducing significant levels of vibration, which helps maintain the integrity of spectral lines and prevents broadening of those lines to help ensure more precise measurements. In addition, they help to ensure thermal stability, which can be crucial. Even minor fluctuations can significantly affect sensitive Mossbauer spectroscopy experiments.