Small-angle neutron scattering, reflectometry, and diffractometry using proton-polarized samples

水素核偏極試料を用いた中性子小角散乱, 反射率, 回折測定

熊田 高之   

Kumada, Takayuki

Scattering length neutrons for cold protons remarkably depends on relative direction of their spins. Thus, scattering pattern of polarized neutrons varies as a function of proton-polarization (PH) of samples. This technique called spin-contrast-variation (SCV) enables us to determine detailed structure of composite materials from the PH-dependent multiple scatterings. Since Stuhrmann et al. firstly demonstrated in 1989, the SCV technique has been applied to small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. We have also carried out SCV-SANS measurements of variety of samples in Japan Research Reactor (JRR-3) and Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). Recently, we newly applied the SCV technique to neutron reflectometry to study surface and interface structure of multi-layered thin-films. Now, we are developing SCV neutron powder diffractometry to determine polycrystalline structure.