Towards 0.1-mm spatial resolution in neutron diffractometry

A design goal for VULCAN, the SNS engineering neutron diffractometer, is to enable spatial mapping with 0.1-mm resolution. Because the targeted applications often involve the use of large samples or special environments, slits cannot be used for this purpose. In this paper, methods to achieve 0.1-mm spatial resolution are outlined. For the incident beam, a new compact focusing device is proposed. The device is made of a stack of bent silicon wafers, each having a reflective multilayer (supermirror) deposited on one side and a neutron-absorbing layer on the other side. The optimal design to minimize the optical spatial aberrations is discussed and Monte Carlo simulation results are presented. For the diffracted beam, imaging devices made from thick packets of diffracting bent silicon wafers (known as Bragg mirrors) could be used. The requirements to achieve sharp imaging together with a large phase-space acceptance window are discussed and preliminary testing results are presented.