Using parabolic supermirror lenses to focus and de-focus a neutron beam

Abstract

We designed a focus/defocus neutron optics system, in order to investigate the performance, precision, efficiency, and operational and designing challenges of such coupled 2- lens systems, which could potentially find applications where small beam cross sections are beneficial, e.g., virtual neutron source concepts and high efficiency chopper systems. Our particular prototype (as described and discussed in this paper) has already been used in an on-going experiment, involving neutron spin filtering with dynamically polarized protons.

After the designing and construction phases, we continued by performing a long series of simulations and measurements, in order to facilitate the alignment of the lenses, and investigate and understand the behaviour and output of the system. All measurements were performed at the BOA beamline at PSI. The simulations were particularly useful in aligning the lenses: tilts as small as 0.04° could easily be accounted for in our simulations and guide successfully the experimental aligning procedure of the first lens. Although harder to do in the case of two lenses, we were still able to reproduce fairly successfully with our simulations, tilts from both lenses. We have noticed (both in our experiments and simulations) that the sensitivity of such a set-up is ~ 0.01°.