High angular resolution neutron interferometry

✍ Scribed by M. Zawisky; J. Springer; H. Lemmel

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 485 KB
• Volume: 634
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0168-9002
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2010.06.092

✦ Synopsis

The currently largest perfect-crystal neutron interferometer with six beam splitters and two interference loops offers novel applications in neutron interferometry. The two additional lamellas can be used for quantitative measurements of a phase shift due to crystal diffraction in the vicinity of a Bragg condition. The arising phase, referred to as “Laue phase,” reveals an extreme angular sensitivity, which allows the detection of beam deflections of the order of 10^−6^ s of arc. Furthermore, a precise measurement of the Laue phase at different reflections might constitute an interesting opportunity for the extraction of fundamental quantities like the neutron–electron scattering length, gravitational short-range interactions in the sub-micron range and the Debye Waller factor. For that purpose several harmonics can be utilized at the interferometer instrument ILL-S18.