By Josh Perry, Editor
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kiutra, a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich (Germany), is the first company in the world to develop a permanent magnetic cooling system that reaches temperatures approaching absolute zero (near -273°C), such as the temperatures required for quantum cooling, according to a report from TUM.

Alexander Regnat, Prof. Christian Pfleiderer, Jan Spallek and Tomek Schulz with their cooling system for extremely low temperatures. (W. Schürmann/TUM)

Four researchers from the university are working on a prototype while building a new startup to commercialize their research.

“Liquefied gases are usually used to generate very low temperatures,” the article explained. “Where constant temperatures close to absolute zero are needed, the extremely rare and expensive isotope helium-3 has to date been used. There are magnetic cooling processes, which can generate the requisite temperatures using inexpensive solids – but usually only for a limited period of time.”

kiutra developed a system that makes cooling permanent and doesn’t require the use of helium-3. It only needs electricity.

According to the startup’s website, “kiutra combines multi-stage magnetic refrigeration and closed-cycle pre-cooling to provide Kelvin to sub-Kelvin temperatures cryogen-free and continuously.”

The system uses two magnetic refrigeration methods, single-shot adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR) and continuous adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration.

“Magnetic refrigeration systems by kiutra offer both single-shot and continuous ADR in a highly modular assembly,” the site continued. “Depending on customer-specific demands single-shot ADR systems can be upgraded to multi-stage CADR refrigerators.”

To learn more about kiutra’s technology, visit https://kiutra.com/technology/.