Three Phase-Grating Moire Neutron Interferometer for Large Interferometer Area Applications

TL;DR

This paper introduces a three phase-grating neutron interferometer that enables large-area interferometry with broad wavelength acceptance and relaxed fabrication constraints, demonstrated over four meters.

Contribution

It presents a novel far-field moire technique for neutron interferometry that overcomes key limitations of traditional methods.

Findings

Interference fringes observed over four meters

Effective in characterizing material coherence

Proposes applications for measuring autocorrelation length and gravitational constant

Abstract

We demonstrate a three phase-grating neutron interferometer as a robust candidate for large area interferometry applications and characterization of materials. This novel far-field moire technique allows for broad wavelength acceptance and relaxed requirements related to fabrication and alignment, circumventing the main obstacles associated with perfect crystal neutron interferometry. Interference fringes were observed with a total interferometer length of four meters, and the effects of an aluminum 6061 alloy sample on the coherence of the system was examined. Experiments to measure the autocorrelation length of samples and the universal gravitational constant are proposed and discussed.