At the Purdue University in Indiana, USA, scientists successfully use a state-of-the-art microReveal Raman microscope system from Montana Instruments to look for electrocaloric materials. These materials are candidates for new cooling opportunities for both big and small cooling systems. By using electrocaloric materials it is possible to design coolant-free systems in the scales from microchips to refrigerators.
A promising aspirant for such a material is CIPS (CuInP2S6). With the help of the microReveal, scientists were able to do Raman spectroscopy over a large temperature interval. The experiment shows a phase transition in CIPS at 315 K which can be used for cooling. It is this transition at close to room temperature that makes CIPS so well suited for every-day applications.
The microReveal provides a fully automated, high-NA Raman micros­­cope for temperatures between 4 K and 600 K with low thermal-mechanical drift. The probe can be contacted both through the optical access and electrically. These features make it possible to generate a precise Raman map, which is necessary for the detection of the exact phase transition position. A full measurement set can be obtained in about one hour.

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