Effectiveness of some 0 dB cryogenic microwave attenuators as heatsinks

With the development of quantum technologies, measurements in the microwave frequency regime are commonly employed at dilution refrigerators temperatures. These measurements rely on cryogenic coaxial cables, which are available in a wide variety of materials. To mitigate the heating effect of coaxial cables on a sample on the mixing chamber, one needs to judiciously use coaxial cables made of different materials as well as good thermal anchors. The so called 0 dB attenuators are typically parts of such setups and yet, to our knowledge, the effectiveness of these attenuators as heat sinks is not published. We present data on effectiveness of three commercially available 0 dB attenuators as heatsinks by measuring the temperature of their central pin under a heat load. This information will enable better designs and careful control of the thermal environment of samples when coaxial cables are used for sub-Kelvin measurements.