Stroboscopic Time-of-Flight Neutron Diffraction in Long Pulsed Magnetic Fields

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel method for neutron diffraction in long pulsed magnetic fields using a specially developed magnet and stroboscopic TOF technique, enabling detailed study of magnetic phases in complex materials.

Contribution

Introduction of a long pulsed magnet combined with stroboscopic TOF neutron diffraction for high-field magnetic studies.

Findings

Successful implementation of long pulsed magnetic fields exceeding 100 ms

Ability to explore reciprocal space with wide neutron wavelength range

Application to study magnetic phases in triangular lattice antiferromagnets

Abstract

We present proof-of-principle experiments of stroboscopic time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction in long pulsed magnetic fields. By utilizing electric double-layer capacitors, we developed a long pulsed magnet for neutron diffraction measurements, which generates pulsed magnetic fields with the full widths at the half maximum of more than $10^2$ ms. The field variation is slow enough to be approximated as a steady field within the time scale of a polychromatic neutron pulse passing through a sample placed in a distance of the order of $10^1$ m from the neutron source. This enables us to efficiently explore the reciprocal space using a wide range of neutron wavelength in high magnetic fields. We applied this technique to investigate field-induced magnetic phases in the triangular lattice antiferromagnets CuFe$_{1-x}$Ga$_x$O$_2$ ($x=0, 0.035$).