A compact in situ polarized 3He neutron spin filter for the diffractometer VULCAN at the Spallation Neutron Source

S. Fu; C. Jiang; D. Yu; Y. Chen; L. Crow; K. An

doi:10.1063/5.0335664

A compact in situ polarized ³He neutron spin filter for the diffractometer VULCAN at the Spallation Neutron Source

S. Fu
, C. Jiang
, D. Yu
, Y. Chen
, L. Crow
, K. An

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We have built and commissioned a compact in situ ³He polarizer based on spin-exchange optical pumping for the engineering materials diffractometer, named VULCAN, at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The system achieved 78% ³He polarization with a short pump-up time constant of 2.2 h. Its first deployment in an in situ half-polarized neutron diffraction experiment on a magnetic shape memory alloy, Ni–Mn–Ga, revealed changes in magnetization coupled to deformation twinning under compression. With this new capability, VULCAN has become the first diffractometer at SNS capable of performing polarized neutron experiments, opening new opportunities to study a wider range of magnetism-related material behaviors under varied thermal, mechanical, electrical, and/or magnetic fields.

Original language	English
Article number	073309
Journal	Review of Scientific Instruments
Volume	97
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0335664
State	Published - Jul 1 2026

Funding

This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source (Grant Nos. IPTS-33636 and 34913), a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We thank J. Craig for making the He cell. We also thank Dr. Erik Iverson for setting up and tuning the beam monitor, and Dr. Barry Winn for providing the Heusler crystal. This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source(Grant Nos. IPTS-33636 and 34913), a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We thankJ. Craig for making the 3 He cell. We also thank Dr. Erik Iverson forsetting up and tuning the beam monitor, and Dr. Barry Winn forproviding the Heusler crystal.This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, underContract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department ofEnergy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, byaccepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the USgovernment retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of thismanuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes.The DOE will provide public access to these results of federallysponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan(https://www.energy.gov/doe-public-access-plan).

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abstract = "We have built and commissioned a compact in situ 3He polarizer based on spin-exchange optical pumping for the engineering materials diffractometer, named VULCAN, at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The system achieved 78\% 3He polarization with a short pump-up time constant of 2.2 h. Its first deployment in an in situ half-polarized neutron diffraction experiment on a magnetic shape memory alloy, Ni{\textendash}Mn{\textendash}Ga, revealed changes in magnetization coupled to deformation twinning under compression. With this new capability, VULCAN has become the first diffractometer at SNS capable of performing polarized neutron experiments, opening new opportunities to study a wider range of magnetism-related material behaviors under varied thermal, mechanical, electrical, and/or magnetic fields.",

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A compact in situ polarized ³He neutron spin filter for the diffractometer VULCAN at the Spallation Neutron Source

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