The development of a 6Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source

Su Ann Chong; Richard Riedel; Loren Funk; Theodore Visscher; Cornelius Donahue; Bruce Hannan; Christopher Montcalm; Justin Beal; Jason Hayward

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2022.167052

The development of a ⁶Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source

Su Ann Chong, Richard Riedel, Loren Funk, Theodore Visscher, Cornelius Donahue, Bruce Hannan, Christopher Montcalm, Justin Beal, Jason Hayward

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

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a high-rate ⁶Li-based pixelated neutron detector developed for neutron reflectometry instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The neutron detector has a pixelated design: each ⁶Li scintillator element has its own photosensor and independent channel readout. This paper focuses on the general overview of the detector design and construction, the characterization of the pixelated detector, and the results of the first neutron reflectivity experiments conducted using the pixelated neutron detector at the SNS Liquid Reflectometer (BL-4B). The pixelated neutron detector demonstrated a global time-average count rate of ≥1.8×10⁶cps, at least 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the existing neutron detector (³He-based Multi-Wire Proportional Counter), and a local instantaneous count rate of ≥1.73×10⁶cps/cm². The maximum counting rate of the detector has not yet been determined as the detector is capable of handling the maximum flux available at the beamline. The outcome of the neutron reflectivity experiments showed that the pixelated neutron detector is a promising candidate for next-generation neutron reflectometry instruments at the SNS.

Original language	English
Article number	167052
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1039
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167052
State	Published - Sep 11 2022
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors thank the instrument scientists, Dr. Mathieu Doucet and Dr. Jim Browning, and scientific associate, Candice Halbert, for their tremendous support and expertise in running the neutron reflectivity experiment and analyzing the neutron reflectivity data. The authors expressed their gratitude towards IRD Glass (Litchfield, MN) for their contribution in the fabrication of scintillator arrays. The authors also appreciate the feedback from Dr. Xianfei Wen in reviewing this paper. This material is based on the work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Contract Numbers DE-AC05-00OR22725 and DE-SC0022292. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725, with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan. The authors thank the instrument scientists, Dr. Mathieu Doucet and Dr. Jim Browning, and scientific associate, Candice Halbert, for their tremendous support and expertise in running the neutron reflectivity experiment and analyzing the neutron reflectivity data. The authors expressed their gratitude towards IRD Glass (Litchfield, MN) for their contribution in the fabrication of scintillator arrays. The authors also appreciate the feedback from Dr. Xianfei Wen in reviewing this paper. This material is based on the work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Contract Numbers DE-AC05-00OR22725 and DE-SC0022292 . This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 , with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) . The U.S. government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the U.S. government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript or allow others to do so, for U.S. government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan.

Keywords

Li
Neutron detectors
Neutron reflectometry
SiPM
Silicon photomultiplier
Solid state detector

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nima.2022.167052

Cite this

Chong, S. A., Riedel, R., Funk, L., Visscher, T., Donahue, C., Hannan, B., Montcalm, C., Beal, J., & Hayward, J. (2022). The development of a ⁶Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1039, Article 167052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167052

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title = "The development of a 6Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source",

abstract = "We present a high-rate 6Li-based pixelated neutron detector developed for neutron reflectometry instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The neutron detector has a pixelated design: each 6Li scintillator element has its own photosensor and independent channel readout. This paper focuses on the general overview of the detector design and construction, the characterization of the pixelated detector, and the results of the first neutron reflectivity experiments conducted using the pixelated neutron detector at the SNS Liquid Reflectometer (BL-4B). The pixelated neutron detector demonstrated a global time-average count rate of ≥1.8×106cps, at least 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the existing neutron detector (3He-based Multi-Wire Proportional Counter), and a local instantaneous count rate of ≥1.73×106cps/cm2. The maximum counting rate of the detector has not yet been determined as the detector is capable of handling the maximum flux available at the beamline. The outcome of the neutron reflectivity experiments showed that the pixelated neutron detector is a promising candidate for next-generation neutron reflectometry instruments at the SNS.",

keywords = "Li, Neutron detectors, Neutron reflectometry, SiPM, Silicon photomultiplier, Solid state detector",

author = "Chong, {Su Ann} and Richard Riedel and Loren Funk and Theodore Visscher and Cornelius Donahue and Bruce Hannan and Christopher Montcalm and Justin Beal and Jason Hayward",

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Chong, SA, Riedel, R, Funk, L, Visscher, T, Donahue, C, Hannan, B, Montcalm, C, Beal, J & Hayward, J 2022, 'The development of a ⁶Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 1039, 167052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2022.167052

The development of a ⁶Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source. / Chong, Su Ann; Riedel, Richard; Funk, Loren et al.
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 1039, 167052, 11.09.2022.

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

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AU - Hannan, Bruce

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AU - Beal, Justin

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AB - We present a high-rate 6Li-based pixelated neutron detector developed for neutron reflectometry instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The neutron detector has a pixelated design: each 6Li scintillator element has its own photosensor and independent channel readout. This paper focuses on the general overview of the detector design and construction, the characterization of the pixelated detector, and the results of the first neutron reflectivity experiments conducted using the pixelated neutron detector at the SNS Liquid Reflectometer (BL-4B). The pixelated neutron detector demonstrated a global time-average count rate of ≥1.8×106cps, at least 3 orders of magnitude higher than that of the existing neutron detector (3He-based Multi-Wire Proportional Counter), and a local instantaneous count rate of ≥1.73×106cps/cm2. The maximum counting rate of the detector has not yet been determined as the detector is capable of handling the maximum flux available at the beamline. The outcome of the neutron reflectivity experiments showed that the pixelated neutron detector is a promising candidate for next-generation neutron reflectometry instruments at the SNS.

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Chong SA, Riedel R, Funk L, Visscher T, Donahue C, Hannan B et al. The development of a ⁶Li-based pixelated neutron detector for neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. 2022 Sep 11;1039:167052. doi: 10.1016/j.nima.2022.167052