Neutrons are charge neutral particles that can be used as probes in materials science just like electrons or X-rays, i.e. they can be scattered or transmitted in a material, and the resulting data are a fingerprint of the materials’ composition and properties. Neutrons are unique because they interact weakly with the atoms in a material, so they have a large penetration depth. They scatter directly of the nucleus and are isotope sensitive. The neutrons can interact with dynamics at the atomic scale like for instance vibrations of the crystal lattice or the diffusion of hydrogen. Further, the neutron has a magnetic moment and can be used for probing magnetism and magnetic properties of materials.
We focus on neutron diffraction, quasi-elastic neutron scattering and advanced neutron imaging, and perform these types of analyses under in situ or operando conditions for various types of materials and devices for energy conversion and storage. We are experts in designing and building sample environments for performing such experiments.
We have close collaboration with several of the international large-scale neutron facilities, please, refer to these links: