Diaz, JonasPutzke, CarstenHuang, XiangweiEstry, AmeliaAnalytis, James G.Sabsovich, DanielGrushin, Adolfo G.Ilan, RoniMoll, Philip J. W.2022-01-312022-01-312022-01-312022-02-2410.1088/1361-6463/ac357fhttps://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/185033WOS:000719096800001We present an experimental set-up for the controlled application of strain gradients by mechanical piezoactuation on 3D crystalline microcantilevers that were fabricated by focused ion beam machining. A simple sample design tailored for transport characterization under strain at cryogenic temperatures is proposed. The topological semi-metal Cd3As2 serves as a test bed for the method, and we report extreme strain gradients of up to 1.3% mu m(-1) at a surface strain value of approximate to 0.65% at 4 K. Interestingly, the unchanged quantum transport of the cantilever suggests that the bending cycle does not induce defects via plastic deformation. This approach is a first step towards realizing transport phenomena based on structural gradients, such as artificial gauge fields in topological materials.Physics, AppliedPhysicsstrain gradientsfocused ion beam machiningpseudo-electromagnetic fieldscd3as2transportgraphenefieldstext::journal::journal article::research article