swiss swiss n n eutronics eutronics · 2012. 4. 23. · swiss swiss n n eutronics eutronics page3...

Swiss N eutronics SwissNeutronicsNeutron Optical Components

& Instruments

www.swissneutronics.ch

Swiss N eutronics Swiss N eutronics Neutron Optical Components

& Instruments

Bruehlstrasse 28

CH-5313 Klingnau

Switzerland

phone: +41 (56) 245 02 02

fax: +41 (56) 245 02 04

[email protected]

Newsletter

issue 4 / december 2009

...» Supermirror m = 7 – the VISION becomes reality

Supermirror m = 7 – the VISION becomes realityThe beamline VISION at the Spallation Neutron Source SNS in Oak Ridge, USA, utilizes a converging neutron guide to transport neutrons with ener-gies as high as 200 meV from the mod-erator to the sample. The initial speci-

guide was coated with supermirror m = 4. However, SwissNeutronics pro-posed extending the m-values up to m = 6 to push the performance of the instrument further. The VISION team became encouraged by the recent developments at SwissNeutronics (e.g. see http://www.swissneutronics.ch/news/news-september-2008.html) and decided to take advantage of this opportunity and to upgrade the guide with higher m-values. Soon the ques-tion for the highest possible m arose.

one step further, from m = 6 (done in 2006) to m = 7. Thus the VISION team decided to apply m-values 4, 5, 6, and 7 for distinct sections from the mod-erator to the sample.

SwissNeutronics performed the coatings in that sequence. Right for m = 4 and 5 excellent results were achieved repro-

-ects. An m = 6 mirror was coated only

once before in the year 2006. Already at that time a quite impressive perfor-mance was achieved but we were cu-rious to see the impact of the devel-opments over the intervening years. In

page 1

Fig. 1 m

0.11 0.22 0.33 0.43 0.54 0.65 0.76 0.87 0.98 1.09 1.19 1.30 1.41 1.52 1.63

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

Qz [nm-1]

Re

fle

cti

vit

y

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5

Re

fle

cti

vit

y

m - value

m = 4 m = 5

m = 6 m = 7

...» NIST In-Pile Guide: First Neutron Guide Made from Superpolished Aluminum

Substrates

page 2

...» 10 Years SwissNeutronics – A Short Historical Account

page 4

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.swissneutronics.ch

http://www.swissneutronics.ch/news/news-september-2008.html

http://www.swissneutronics.ch/news/news-september-2008.html

...for more info visit our website at http://www.swissneutronics.ch


& Instruments

Bruehlstrasse 28

CH-5313 Klingnau

Switzerland

phone: +41 (56) 245 02 02

fax: +41 (56) 245 02 04

[email protected]


Newsletter

-ity massively to Redge m = 6 of the supermirror. Finally,

with m = 7. After several days of sput-

were more than excited to see that we R

at the critical edge.

Despite achieving

stability of the mirrors is of basic im-portance. Therefore, all coatings are developed to have a minimum internal stress. We monitored the stress also during the sputtering campaign for VI-

m = 6 mirror from the year 2006 served as a reference. We have that mirror stored on our shelf and inspected it frequently. There is abso-lutely no degradation in terms of re-

low to guarantee long term stability. All -

ect have an internal stress well below that of the reference mirror.

!! !!

Fig. 2m

m

In conclusion, SwissNeutronics is proud -

mark in the history of supermirror. Within the campaign for the VISION

and challenging m values were suc-cessfully produced constituting a su-permirror “Grand Slam”.

NIST In-Pile Guide: First Neutron Guide Made from Superpolished Aluminum SubstratesIn our previous newsletter (issue 3) we re-ported about the spectacular neutron guide assemblies for the initial sec-tion of the new neutron guide system at the NCNR at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).

made from superpolished borkron glass. In front of them, the NCNR de-sires to install another guide assembly as close as possible to the moderator to improve the illumination of the neu-tron guides. This guide is located in

from the moderator. Since this region

radiation load, it is desired to fabricate it from aluminum substrates.

The contract was awarded to Swiss-Neutronics because we are the only

the subsequent neutron guides. Fig. 3 shows the 3D model of the in-pile guide assembly. Afterwards the fabri-cation of the aluminum substrates was performed including the sophisticated superpolishing. The roughness of the substrates was measured using atom-ic force microscopy (AFM) -ment of the surface was complete when the AFM results showed a rough-

or superpolished glass. After the coat-ing all parts were tested measuring the

Fig. 4 depicts a few representative results, e.g. supermirror on superpolished aluminum achieving

R = 0.80 at the critical edge of m = 3.6. Finally, the guide was assembled, i.e. screwed together, which is a rather unfamiliar wording for the assembly process of a

company which can produce super-polished surfaces on aluminum for the application of neutron supermirror with

m val-ues. The engineering design started in spring 2009. A complex geometry and various mrequired to match the phase space of

stability against irradiation and ther- mal load

mechanical robustness

extended machining options for inte- grated mounting and assembly fea- tures

reversible assembly - individual parts can be replaced


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& Instruments

Bruehlstrasse 28

CH-5313 Klingnau

Switzerland

phone: +41 (56) 245 02 02

fax: +41 (56) 245 02 04

[email protected]


Newsletter

neutron guide. Usually we glue guide units together. However, we may get used to the process of screwing in the future. The assembled guide is shown in Fig. 5of neutron guides made from metallic substrates is given in the separate info box.

Finally we delivered this unique neutron guide to NIST in early December 2009, about two months earlier compared to the contractual obligation. This suc-cessful collaboration with NIST proves the capabilities of SwissNeutronics to fabricate neutron guides from alu-minium substrates providing extended options for neutron optics with great

0.11 0.22 0.33 0.43 0.54 0.65 0.76 0.87 0.98

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

Qz [nm-1]

Re

fle

cti

vit

y

File: Reflectivity

Date of file: 12/17/2009

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5

Re

fle

cti

vit

y

m - value

m = 1.8 m = 2.5

m = 3 m = 3.6

Fig. 3

m

Fig. 5

Fig. 4

m




& Instruments

Bruehlstrasse 28

CH-5313 Klingnau

Switzerland

phone: +41 (56) 245 02 02

fax: +41 (56) 245 02 04

[email protected]


Newsletter

10 Years SwissNeutronics – A Short Historical Account

It was during the course of a coffee break at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in

-ing a company, dedicated to the fabri-cation of neutron optical components was born. In those good old days, we (three physicists and two engineers) were concerned (Fig. 6) because the

-

lays in upgrading beam lines for neu--

cient neutron optics using supermirror and advanced mechanical compo-nents. These delays were particularly frustrating because the Laboratory for Neutron Scattering PSI & ETH had ex-cellent coating facilities for the produc-tion of supermirror with large critical

was the notion that the ratio Q = <costs for manpower> divided by <invest-ments> became one of the measures

for the performance of large-scale facilities. The smaller Q the higher the ranking of the facility, i.e. the goal was

way to achieve this ambitious goal is to outsource technical developments thus saving manpower and buying the goods from the outsourced company in order to increase the investments. Therefore, it was timely to take advan-tage of this situation and combine the expertise of scientists and engineers being strongly involved in neutron scattering to develop modern neutron optical components for a large com-munity thus speeding up the upgrade of existing neutron sources.

After the decision to found SwissNeu-tronics as a spin-off company of PSI, it took only three weeks to perform the paper work for legalizing Swiss-

SwissNeutronics embarqued on the fabrication of remanent polarizing and non-polarizing supermirror coatings for various customers. It was in spring 2000, when SwissNeutronics expand-

ed its activities massively for the pro-duction of more than 200 meters of neutron guides for the new neutron source FRM II in Munich. For the as-sembly of the neutron guides, dedicat-ed equipment and facilities were rent-ed at “Oberes Zelgli” in Klingnau. The glass substrates were delivered by a company in Switzerland that was well known for the production of optics for industry. It was during this time when the new concept for neutron guides was introduced by SwissNeutron-ics, i.e. a design where the geometry

dimensions of the substrates and not by the glue thus guaranteeing the long

term stability of the neutron guides as manufactured by SwissNeutronics. In order to improve the precision of the single substrates to a quality superior to that available from the optics indus-try, SwissNeutronics acquired its own

installed it in its second facility at Bad-strasse in Döttingen.

Fig. 6

Fig. 7




& Instruments

Bruehlstrasse 28

CH-5313 Klingnau

Switzerland

phone: +41 (56) 245 02 02

fax: +41 (56) 245 02 04

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Newsletter

Actually, because of a lack of facilities

the guides for the shutter section of FRM II (Fig. 7) in a garage (Fig. 8) of one of the founders. Clearly a typical procedure when a new company starts

its activities. Following the large guide

expanded its activities very quickly,

distributed by AVANCE Inc., followed by the manufacturing of the neutron guide for ENGINE-X at ISIS. Finally most neutron scattering centers be-came customers of SwissNeutronics.

With the increasing number

SwissNeutronics decided to optimize its manufacturing processes by mov-ing to its own fabrication building at Bruehlstrasse 28 in Klingnau in Spring 2004, where all the activities were combined (Fig. 9) thus facilitating fu-ture expansions. In the same year, a magnetron sputtering facility and a second CNC grinding machine of the newest generation was acquired to enable for the precise grinding of non-linearly tapered neutron guides more effectively. The year 2005 marked two important steps in the development of SwissNeutronics. Firstly, a scientist, i.e. an expert in neutron optics, who was formerly responsible for the instal-lation and quality management of the neutron guide installations at FRM II,

the responsibility for the supermirror

coatings and the technical develop-

2007, in his new position as chief oper--

ration with the whole team of Swiss-

management system, which has led to

the resources of SwissNeutronics and virtually eliminated time delays during production. Secondly, SwissNeutron-ics obtained access to its own neutron

-mirror coatings immediately after pro-duction. All these measures have led to a marked increase of the performance

of supermirror for polarizing and non-polarizing applications. In particular, SwissNeutronics succeeded to intro-duce the m = 6 technology for super-mirror as a standard process. The larg-est critical angles now exceed m = 7.

The last years -velopments and breakthroughs in the

-

neutron guide with a length of 90 m was installed timely for the High Reso-lution Powder Diffractometer HRPD at the spallation source ISIS in UK (News-

. Its performance is excellent. In 2007, a laser tracker was acquired that provides higher ac-curacy and extended options com-pared to conventional instruments for guide alignment, e.g. it allows a swift and highly accurate alignment of non-linearly tapered neutron guides and beam inserts in high radiation areas. For various laboratories, elliptic and parabolic focusing devices were de-livered, which rely on supermirror with mwas increased rather dramatically for polarizing supermirror made from Fe/Si exceeding now critical angles of

m = 4.5. Moreover, Swiss-

Neutronics succeeded to also pro-vide polarizing and non-polarizing monochromating systems for various neutron sources using an advanced technology (Newsletter 2, December 2008). We mention in particular large Heusler systems, where SwissNeu-

-ing to a polarization of the diffracted neutrons P > 94% and a variable fo-cusing monochromator system based

Fig. 9

Fig. 8


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& Instruments

Bruehlstrasse 28

CH-5313 Klingnau

Switzerland

phone: +41 (56) 245 02 02

fax: +41 (56) 245 02 04

[email protected]


Newsletter

breakthrough we mention the abil-ity of SwissNeutronics to superpolish substrates manufactured from alumi-num and steel with unprecedented low roughness at its own facilities yielding

with min neutron optics and will have a sig-

neutron guides.

In summary, SwissNeutronics with its

very proud to have become one of the

During this time, SwissNeutronics has improved the mechanical design, the performance of the supermirror, and the reliability of the neutron optical

had not been possible under regular research conditions at a large scale facility. In particular, SwissNeutronics has invented and pushed many new developments in neutron optics that have improved the performance of

more neutrons per dollar. Of course, the rather dramatic progress was only made possible by the excellent work

Fig. 10of our well-trained personnel that is uniquely available in Switzerland and the collaboration of physicists and engineers, who are directly involved in neutron physics and in the realization

-ward to many more successful years of operation and hope to continue in improving our products to service our customers.


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