Development and application of low temperature X-ray diffraction apparatus in high magnetic field

A cryocooler-cooled split-pair superconducting magnet using high-temperature Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ current leads was successfully constructed. The magnet generated 5.0 T at the center of a vertical clear bore of 68 mm and a horizontal gap of 58 mm, and was combined with an X-ray diffraction apparatus. The performance test of the high field low temperature X-ray diffraction system was carried out in fields up to 5.0 T and at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 7.5 K. We measured the lattice parameters of Nd_0.5Sr_0.5MnO₃ at 8.9 K and 5.0 T. It is demonstrated that the newly developed X-ray diffraction system in fields is very useful for the investigation of field-induced phase transformation phenomena.