Zr-based bulk metallic glass clamp cell for high-pressure inelastic neutron scattering

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Zr-based bulk metallic glass clamp cell that enhances neutron transparency and reduces background noise for high-pressure inelastic neutron scattering experiments.

Contribution

The authors fabricated and characterized a novel Zr-BMG clamp cell that improves neutron transmission and background profile compared to traditional materials.

Findings

The Zr-BMG clamp cell exhibits higher neutron transmission than CuBe cells.

The INS spectra of the empty Zr-BMG cell are broad and featureless.

Test measurements confirm the cell's suitability for high-pressure INS studies.

Abstract

We report the fabrication and characterization of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (Zr-BMG) clamp cell designed for high-pressure inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements. The INS spectra of the empty cell exhibit broad and featureless backgrounds, reflecting the amorphous structure of the Zr-BMG. Test measurements using a reference sample, CsFeCl$_{3}$, confirm that the neutron transmission of the Zr-BMG cell is significantly higher than that of a conventional monobloc CuBe clamp cell. These results demonstrate that the Zr-BMG clamp cell provides both enhanced neutron transparency and a clean background profile, thereby advancing high-pressure INS studies.