Here's a current assessment of where we're at and what needs to be done.
Sample cell: Max is done with machining and is currently putting the pieces together and testing. He'll use copper tape to try and "plug the leaks" to figure out where the rf leaks are. Thermocoax needs to be installed and the guts of the sample cell need to be put together.
Coax cable for fridge: Copper coax still needs to be ordered. We looked at the BeCu cable today. It may ok for our needs. Because of its high thermal conductivity, it will need to be thermally anchored at 1 K stage. We will need to install attenuators at 1 K and mix chamber to filter out RT photons and noise. We have five -30 dB SMA attenuators now.
We still need to figure out how to install the superconducting cable in the displacer. Yiming will contact Oxford and find out how we can install the coax: Is packing it tightly in grease sufficient? Does grease need to go up the entire hole or just down at the bottom? What kind of grease? Apiezon N?
Wiring: Max is still looking into buying Cinch connectors, either from Oxford of directly from Cinch. He will also try to figure out how to get the thermocoax installed given the tight space constraints. For starters, he will see if he can fit a similar number of similar thickness wires into the fridge.
We still need mounting hardware for the Cinch connectors.
Sample: Yiming is still working on a design for the sample.