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Science & Technology

The ILL has firmly established itself as a pioneer in neutron science and technology. Neutron beams are used to carry out frontier research in diverse fields.

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Science at ILL

Why use neutrons?

When beams of neutrons are used to probe small samples of materials they have the power to reveal what cannot be seen using other types of radiation.  Neutrons appear to behave either as particles or as waves or as microscopic magnetic dipoles. It is these specific properties which enable them to yield information which is often impossible to obtain using other techniques.


Wavelength

Neutron wavelengths range from 0.1 Å to 1000 Å, making them an ideal probe of atomic and molecular structures, be they single atomic species or complex biopolymers.



Energy

Neutron energies are of the same magnitude as the diffusive motion in solids and liquids, the coherent waves in single crystals (phonons and magnons), and the vibrational modes in molecules.  Any exchange of energy of the order of 1 μeV (even 1 neV with spin-echo) to 1 eV between a sample and an incoming neutron can be detected.




Electrical neutrality

Neutrons are non-destructive and can penetrate deep into matter. This makes them an ideal probe for biological materials and samples under extreme conditions of pressure, temperature, magnetic field or within chemical reaction vessels.



Scattering power

In contrast to X-rays, the neutron scattering power varies from one nucleus to another in a quasi-random manner. This means that light atoms (like Hydrogen) are visible despite the presence of heavier atoms, and neighbouring atoms may be distinguished from each other.



Magnetic moment

Neutrons possess a magnetic dipole moment which makes them sensitive to magnetic fields generated by unpaired electrons in materials.  Precise information on the magnetic behaviour of materials at atomic level can be collected. 

In addition, the neutron scattering power of an atomic nucleus depends on the respective orientations of the neutron and the nucleus spins. This makes the neutron a powerful instrument for detecting the nuclear spin order.


Many examples of application of neutrons in diverse areas can be found in Science areas and Grand societal challenges.