Polarized Neutron Laue Diffraction on a Crystal Containing Dynamically Polarized Proton Spins

TL;DR

This study demonstrates how polarized-neutron Laue diffraction on a proton-spin-polarized crystal can enhance Bragg peak contrast and reduce background noise, improving neutron diffraction analysis of hydrogen-rich materials.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method using dynamic nuclear polarization to control proton spins, significantly improving neutron diffraction signal quality.

Findings

Bragg peak intensities can be significantly enhanced or diminished.

Incoherent background noise is reduced with proton spin polarization.

The method enables continuous tuning of diffraction contrast.

Abstract

We report on a polarized-neutron Laue diffraction experiment on a single crystal of neodynium doped lanthanum magnesium nitrate hydrate containing polarized proton spins. By using dynamic nuclear polarization to polarize the proton spins, we demonstrate that the intensities of the Bragg peaks can be enhanced or diminished significantly, whilst the incoherent background, due to proton spin disorder, is reduced. It follows that the method offers unique possibilities to tune continuously the contrast of the Bragg reflections and thereby represents a new tool for increasing substantially the signal-to-noise ratio in neutron diffraction patterns of hydrogenous matter.