A current to voltage converter for cryogenics using a CMOS operational amplifier

We have constructed a versatile current to voltage (I-V) converter operating at liquid helium temperature, using a commercially available all-CMOS OPamp. It is valuable for cryogenic measurements of electrical current of nano-pico amperes, for example, in scanning probe microscopy. The I-V converter is thermally linked to liquid helium bath and self-heated up to 10.7 K. We have confirmed its capability of a transimpedance gain of 106 V/A and a bandwidth from DC to 200 kHz. In order to test the practical use for a frequency-modulation atomic force microscope, we have measured the resonance frequency shift of a quartz tuning fork at 32 kHz. In the operation of the I-V converter close to the sensor at liquid helium temperature, the signal-to-noise ratio has been improved to a factor of 13.6 compared to the operation at room temperature.