Energy-resolved neutron imaging with high spatial resolution using a superconducting delay-line kinetic inductance detector

TL;DR

This paper presents a high spatial resolution, energy-resolved neutron imaging technique using a superconducting delay-line kinetic inductance detector with an expanded active area, enabling detailed transmission imaging of biological and metal samples.

Contribution

The authors developed an improved neutron detector with expanded active area and enhanced spatial resolution for energy-resolved imaging, demonstrating its effectiveness on various samples.

Findings

Achieved high spatial resolution neutron images over 15x15 mm² area.

Successfully discriminated stainless-steel specimens using Bragg edge transmission.

Demonstrated capability for detailed imaging of biological and metal samples.

Abstract

Neutron imaging is one of the key technologies for non-destructive transmission testing. Recent progress in the development of intensive neutron sources allows us to perform energy-resolved neutron imaging with high spatial resolution. Substantial efforts have been devoted to developing a high spatial and temporal resolution neutron imager. We have been developing a neutron imager aiming at conducting high spatial and temporal resolution imaging based on a delay-line neutron detector, called the current-biased kinetic-inductance detector, with a conversion layer $^{10}$B. The detector allowed us to obtain a neutron transmission image with four signal readout lines. Herein, we expanded the sensor active area, and improved the spatial resolution of the detector. We examined the capability of high spatial resolution neutron imaging over the sensor active area of 15 $\times$ 15 mm$^2$ for various samples, including biological and metal ones. We also demonstrated an energy-resolved neutron image in which stainless-steel specimens were discriminating of other specimens with the aid of the Bragg edge transmission.