Methods:

The laboratory is specialised in specific heat studies of superconductors and materials with novel electronic properties.

About 15 different calorimeters have been developed in our laboratory using various techniques to measure the specific heat. They are specialized in high precision (adiabatic calorimetry, relaxation calorimetry), ultra-high resolution (AC and micro-relaxation calorimetry), high temperatures (<400 K), low temperatures (>300 mK), high magnetic fields (15 T in Hong Kong, in collaboration with the Grenoble high magnetic field laboratory: 30 T), high pressures (~30 GPa in a Bridgman-type of pressure cell), samples with small masses (>~100 nanogram) and anisotropic samples (relaxation calorimetry in magnetic fields on a low-temperature rotator). The latest development is the measurement of changes in the heat capacity of thin-films (<100 nm) which are epitaxially grown on a bulk substrate.

These methods are combined with VSM-SQUID and torque magnetometry, AC susceptibility, thermal and electrical transport, point-contact spectroscopy and high-resolution thermal expansion experiments.

Some examples for available specific heat techniques:
Adiabatic, continuous-heating calorimetry
Relaxation calorimetry
Heat-flow magnetocalorimetry
AC calorimetry on tiny samples, under high pressure or on thin films expitaxially grown on a bulk substrate