Minimizing device and sample stage temperature differences

What does Lake Shore do in their probe stations to minimize any differences between device temperature and sample stage temperature?

This is a common concern. Because of heat loads from thermal radiation and heat conduction through the probe arms, as well as the thermal resistance between the device and sample stage, the actual temperature of the device can deviate from the sample stage temperature. A Lake Shore probe station includes several features to minimize these effects, including radiation shields that reduce the thermal radiation on the sample and the thermally anchored of the probes at or near the sample stage. Lake Shore testing has shown that at the superconducting transition temperature of niobium (9.3 K), the thermal gradient between the sample stage and a probed device can be less than 0.5 K. For more on this, read this app note.