Polarised neutrons for material science research at ANSTO
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Date
2018-01-31
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Australian Institute of Physics
Abstract
Polarised neutron scattering can definitively identify magnetic structures and dynamics, and separate the structural signal and the spin-incoherent scattering in hydrogen-rich materials. At ANSTO, our project to incorporate this capability to a wide suit of instruments is coming to fruition. User research experiments using polarised neutrons have recently been carried out to study multiferroic and magnetostrictive materials on the TAIPAN thermal triple-axis spectrometer and WOMBAT high-intensity diffractometer, and from an earlier time, magnetic multilayers on the PLATYPUS reflectometer. One of the first round of user research has been published. We have now also completed the deployment and test on the PELICAN cold neutron chopper spectrometer, QUOKKA SANS instrument and SIKA cold triple-axis spectrometer. Condensed matter research experiments will be carried out on those three instruments in the first half of 2018. The ECHIDNA high-resolution diffractometer is the next instrument to acquire this capability. Our development focus is now on providing user support to plan experiment, reduce data and analyse data: Rather than a surveying technique, a polarised neutron experiment is often done in the regions of interest identified using unpolarised neutron measurements. The type of polarizer and analyser (often polarised Helium-3 based) would affect what and how the measurements will be done. And polarised neutron data reduction and analysis would add a level of complexity to the process. This presentation will provide an overview of the capabilities available, some of the experiments that had been carried out to illustrate how material research can utilize polarised neutrons and the key factors to consider in planning an experiment and reducing the data.
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Keywords
Australia, Baryons, Beams, Diffraction, Elementary particles, Fermions, Hadrons, Measuring instruments, Nucleons, Scattering, ANSTO
Citation
Lee, W. T., & D’Adam, T. (2018). Polarised neutrons for material science research at ANSTO. Paper presented to the 42nd Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 30th January – 2nd February, 2018. (p.33). Retrieved from: https://physics.org.au/wp-content/uploads/cmm/2018/Wagga_2018_Conference_Handbook.pdf