Nuclear magnetic resonance probe head design for precision strain control

Rev Sci Instrum. 2017 Oct;88(10):103902. doi: 10.1063/1.5002631.

Abstract

We present the design and construction of an NMR probe to investigate single crystals under strain at cryogenic temperatures. The probe head incorporates a piezoelectric-based apparatus from Razorbill Instruments that enables both compressive and tensile strain tuning up to strain values on the order of 0.3% with a precision of 0.001%. 75As NMR in BaFe2As2 reveals large changes to the electric field gradient and indicates that the strain is homogeneous to within 16% over the volume of the NMR coil.