neutronguide

Neutronguide refers to a specialized optical fiber designed to transport neutrons. Unlike conventional optical fibers that use the principle of total internal reflection to guide light, neutronguides employ a similar phenomenon based on neutron reflection. The inner surface of a neutronguide is coated with materials that have a high neutron refractive index compared to the surrounding medium. When neutrons traveling through the guide encounter the coated surface at a shallow angle, they are reflected back into the guide, effectively trapping them and allowing them to propagate over long distances.

Neutronguides are crucial components in neutron scattering instruments used for materials science research. They enable neutrons generated by sources like nuclear reactors or spallation sources to be efficiently transported to experimental sample areas, often located far from the source. This efficient transport is essential for maintaining neutron flux intensity, which is critical for conducting experiments. The properties of the coating material and the geometry of the guide can be tailored to optimize the transmission of neutrons within a specific energy or wavelength range. Research in this area focuses on developing new coating materials with higher reflectivity and improving the design of guides to minimize neutron loss.