Weak-value thermostat with 0.2 mK precision

A new laser-based thermostat sensitive to 0.2 mK at room temperature is reported. The method utilizes a fluid-filled prism and interferometric weak-value amplification to sense nanoradian deviations of a laser beam: due to the high thermo-optic coefficient of the fluid (colorless fluorocarbon), the deviation angle through the prism is sensitive to temperature. We estimate the daily stability of our device to be 0.2 mK, which is limited by drifts in the apparatus, and the narrow 20 mK capture range is the price paid for the weak measurement.