Electric field imaging using polarized neutrons

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that polarized neutrons can be used to directly image electric fields inside objects, providing a new method for visualizing electric potential and charge distribution in inaccessible regions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel neutron-based imaging technique for visualizing internal electric fields, expanding diagnostic tools for electric potential and charge distribution analysis.

Findings

Electric fields inside objects can be visualized using polarized neutrons.

Neutron imaging provides access to regions inaccessible by conventional probes.

The method enables detailed mapping of electric potential and polarization.

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate that electrically neutral particles, neutrons, can be used to directly visualize the electrostatic field inside a target volume that can be isolated or occupied. Electric-field images were obtained using a polychromatic, spin-polarized neutron beam with a sensitive polarimetry scheme. This work may enable new diagnostic power of the structure of electric potential, electric polarization, charge distribution, and dielectric constant by imaging spatially dependent electric fields in objects that cannot be accessed by other conventional probes.