International. American researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a prototype pulse tube cooler that makes it easier to reach temperatures close to absolute zero.
Ultra-low temperature cooling is crucial for a variety of applications, from qubit stabilization in quantum computing to maintaining the superconducting properties of materials and cooling scientific facilities.
In that context, pulsed tube cooler optimization significantly reduces the time and energy required to cool materials to temperatures close to absolute zero.
By optimizing helium gas flow and changing mechanical connections, researchers have improved cooling efficiency, reducing cooling time by half or more.
This technology could speed up scientific research by enabling faster cooling and reducing the size of refrigerators needed to reach extremely low temperatures.
According to NIST, this innovation, which modifies commonly used pulsed tube coolers, could save up to 27 million watts a year.
