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This paper presents the development and experimental characterisation of a piezoelectric cryogenic heat switch based on mechanical contact. The switch is designed for applications requiring dynamic thermal control in the temperature range of 60--180~K, where low parasitic heat loads, compactness, and long-term stability are essential. Unlike conventional mechanical or gas-gap heat switches that require continuous actuation energy to maintain the conducting state, the proposed design passively maintains thermal contact using a disc spring preload and requires actuation energy only during switching to the non-conducting state. A multilayer piezoelectric actuator is used to separate the thermal interface, enabling reversible transitions between conducting and non-conducting configurations. The performance of the switch was evaluated using a guarded heater method. The measured thermal contact conductance in the conducting state reaches approximately $1.01\times10^{4}\,\mathrm{W\,m^{-2}\,K^{-1}}$ at 60~K, while the non-conducting state conductance is approximately $7.95\times10^{1}\,\mathrm{W\,m^{-2}\,K^{-1}}$, yielding switching ratios in the range of 127--165. In addition to high thermal performance, the switch offers advantages in system integration due to its compact design and simple electrical actuation. A comparison with a previously developed gas-gap heat switch demonstrates significantly higher conductance and improved switching efficiency. These results demonstrate that the proposed design provides a high-performance, energy-efficient alternative to conventional cryogenic heat switch technologies.
| Submitters Country | Netherlands |
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| Are you a student? | Yes |
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