journal article·2019-08-01Open access

Angular alignment and fidelity of neutron phase-gratings for improved interferometer fringe visibility

B. Heacock, D. Sarenac, D. G. Cory, M. G. Huber, D. S. Hussey, C. Kapahi, H. Miao, H. Wen, D. A. Pushin

AIP Advances· Volume 9· Issue 8

Abstract

The recent development of phase-grating moiré neutron interferometry promises a wide range of impactful experiments from dark-field imaging of material microstructure to precise measurements of fundamental constants. However, the contrast of 3% obtained using this moiré interferometer was well below the theoretical prediction of 30% using ideal gratings. It is suspected that non-ideal aspects of the phase-gratings was a leading contributor to this deficiency and that phase-gratings needed to be quantitatively assessed and optimized. Here we characterize neutron diffraction from phase-gratings using Bragg diffraction crystals to determine the optimal phase-grating orientations. We show well-defined diffraction peaks and explore perturbations to the diffraction peaks and the effects on interferometer contrast as a function of grating alignment. This technique promises to improve the contrast of the grating interferometers by providing in-situ aides to grating alignment.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Nuclear Physics and Applications · High-pressure geophysics and materials · Calibration and Measurement Techniques

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Physics, North Carolina State University 1 , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA

Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory 2 , Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA

Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo 3 , Waterloo, ON N2L3G1, Canada

Department of Physics, University of Waterloo 4 , Waterloo, ON N2L3G1, Canada

Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo 5 , Waterloo, ON N2L3G1, Canada

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 6 , Waterloo, ON N2L2Y5, Canada

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research 7 , Toronto, ON, M5G1Z8, Canada

National Institute of Standards and Technology 8 , Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA

Biophysics and Biochemistry Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health 9 , Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA

Funding

National Science Foundation · National Institute of Standards and Technology · U.S. Department of Energy · Canada Excellence Research Chairs, Government of Canada · Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada · Canada First Research Excellence Fund

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