Materials research with neutrons at NIST

Abstract

The NIST Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory works with industry, standards bodies, universities, and other government laboratories to improve the nation’s measurements and standards infrastructure for materials. An increasingly important component of this effort is carried out at the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR), at present the most productive center of its kind in the United States. This article gives a brief historical account of the growth and activities of the Center with examples of its work in major materials research areas and describes the key role the Center can expect to play in future developments.

Photons, Orbital Angular Momentum, and Neutrons

“…Thermal and cold neutrons have been demonstrated to be uniquely valuable probes of the properties of condensed matter systems because their wavelengths and energies are suitably matched to study both structure and dynamics of materials. [ 1 ] The addition of a new quantum degree of freedom, orbital angular momentum (OAM), promises to extend the usefulness of this probe to new areas of materials studies. The generation and manipulation of OAM states of both light and matter have garnered significant attention in recent years.…”

The HANARO neutron reflectometer with horizontal sample geometry; engineering designs and performance simulation

“…In principle, neutron reflectometers can be classified in two different types depending on sample geometry: i.e., vertical and horizontal sample geometries. Although a NR with vertical sample geometry has several advantages, i) higher resolution, ii) lower background intensity, iii) simplified optics, and iv) wider q-range, over a NR with a horizontal sample geometry, a NR with horizontal sample geometry [3][4][5][6][7][8] is still useful for free surface and thus, it is suitable to study Langmuir systems. In particular, it is specifically amenable to basic and applied studies of bio-mimetic interfaces: e.g., bio-active molecules, phospholipids membranes and protein complexes with relevance to biological applications.…”

“…The neutron reflectometer (NR) is one of powerful techniques for investigating near-surface structures and dynamic processes that occur at the interfaces of a wide variety of materials, from magnetic to biological systems [1][2][3]. In principle, neutron reflectometers can be classified in two different types depending on sample geometry: i.e., vertical and horizontal sample geometries.…”

Investigations of zeolitic materials at the NIST Center for Neutron Research

“…Neutron diffraction studies of zeolites have been a focus area at the NIST Research Reactor for nearly two decades [ 1 ]. As discussed previously, the BT-1 instrument offers the best instrumental resolution in the U.S. for neutron crystallography [ 2 ]. The upgrade of the 75 take-off angle monochromator to Ge(311) in recent years has further improved the instrument for zeolite studies by improving resolution at lower angles and increasing the sensitivity by a factor of two.…”