Single Crystal Sapphire at milli-Kelvin Temperatures: Observation of Electromagnetically Induced Thermal Bistability in High Q-factor Whispering Gallery Modes

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Resonance modes in single crystal sapphire (α-Al₂O₃) exhibit extremely high electrical and mechanical Q-factors (≈ 10⁹ at 4K), which are important characteristics for electromechanical experiments at the quantum limit. We report the first cooldown of a bulk sapphire sample below superfluid liquid helium temperature (1.6K) to as low as 25mK. The electromagnetic properties were characterised at microwave frequencies, and we report the first observation of electromagnetically induced thermal bistability in whispering gallery modes due to the material T³ dependence on thermal conductivity and the ultra-low dielectric loss tangent. We identify "magic temperatures" between 80 to 2100 mK, the lowest ever measured, at which the onset of bistability is suppressed and the frequency-temperature dependence is annulled. These phenomena at low temperatures make sapphire suitable for quantum metrology and ultra-stable clock applications, including the possible realization of the first quantum limited sapphire clock.