Cryogenic single-chip electron spin resonance detector

We report on the design and characterization of a single-chip electron spin resonance detector, operating at a frequency of about 20 GHz and in a temperature range extending at least from 300 K down to 4 K. The detector consists of an LC oscillator formed by a 200 μm diameter single turn aluminum planar coil, a metal-oxide-metal capacitor, and two metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors used as negative resistance network. At 300 K, the oscillator has a frequency noise of 20 Hz/Hz1/2 at 100 kHz offset from the 20 GHz carrier. At 4 K, the frequency noise is about 1 Hz/Hz1/2 at 10 kHz offset. The spin sensitivity measured with a sample of DPPH is 108 spins/Hz1/2 at 300 K and down to 106 spins/Hz1/2 at 4 K. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.