Development of a Phase Contrast and Dark Field Neutron Microscope

• Project/Area Number: 23656056
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied physics, general
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: AOKI Sadao 筑波大学, 名誉教授 (50016804)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): WATANABE Norio 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 講師 (80241793)
• Research Collaborator: HASHIZUME Junki
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2014)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 中性子 / Ⅹ線 / 顕微鏡 / 位相差 / 暗視野 / ウオルターミラー / 全反射 / 斜入射 / X線 / イメージングプレート / 原子炉

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cold neutrons around 1nm in wavelength can be totally reflected at the grazing incidence. In this study a Wolter mirror which consists of a hyperboloid and an ellipsoid mirrors coated with platinum was used to focus and image neutrons. A cold neutron beam from a research reactor was focused using a Wolter type-I mirror. Focused neutron images were taken at wavelengths of 0.6nm to 1nm and they were detected by an imaging plate. The spatial resolution obtained was about 100μm, which was limited mainly by the pixel size of the imaging plate. The thickness of a quater wavelength plate made of copper which will be used for a phase-contrast neutron microscope was estimated. The thickness of the plate calculated to be 9μm for a cold neutron of 0.6nm in wavelength.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] フォトンカウンティング法を用いた実験室系結像型蛍光Ⅹ線顕微鏡 (2015)
  • Author(s): 青木貞雄、鬼木崇、今井祐介、橋爪惇起、渡辺紀生
  • Journal Title: Ⅹ線分析の進歩 Volume: 46 Pages: 237-244
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Differential Phase Microscope and Micro-Tomography with a Foucault Knife-Edge Scanning Filter (2013)
  • Author(s): N. Watanabe, J. Hashizume, M. Goto, M. Yamaguchi, T. Tsujimura, and S. Aoki
  • Journal Title: Journal of Physics: Conference Series Volume: 463
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Simple Method of Confirming Wet Environment for Soft X-ray Microscopy to Observe Hydrated Biological Specimens (2012)
  • Author(s): K. Takaba, M. Hoshino and S. Aoki
  • Journal Title: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Volume: 51
  • NAID: 40019424917
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Cold Neutron Focusing with a Wolter Type-I Mirror (2012)
  • Author(s): Sadao Aoki, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Jun Furukawa
  • Journal Title: Jpn.J.Appl.Phys. Volume: 51 Issue: 2R Pages: 026401-026401
  • DOI: 10.1143/jjap.51.026401
  • NAID: 210000140169
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 軸対称多段斜入射ミラーの設計と試作 (2015)
  • Author(s): 青木貞雄、渡辺紀生、浅見博、島田晃広
  • Organizer: 第62回応用物理学会春季学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 東海大学湘南キャンパス
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-11 – 2015-03-14
• [Presentation] 画像接続によるⅩ線位相コントラスト顕微鏡の視野の拡大 (2015)
  • Author(s): 渡辺紀生、円谷雄二、島田晃広、青木貞雄
  • Organizer: 第62回応用物理学会春季学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 東海大学湘南キャンパス
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-11 – 2015-03-14
• [Presentation] Quantitative Phase Tomography by Using X-Ray Microscope with Foucault Knife-Edge Scanning Filter (2014)
  • Author(s): Norio Watanabe, Yuuji Tsuburaya, Akihiro Shimada, Sadao Aoki
  • Organizer: 12th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy
  • Place of Presentation: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
  • Year and Date: 2014-10-26 – 2014-10-31
• [Presentation] X線用ウオルターミラーを利用した冷中性子線の集光 (2011)
  • Author(s): 青木貞雄、山本剛史、古川純
  • Organizer: 第11回X線結像光学シンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: 東北大学片平さくらホール（仙台市）
• [Presentation] X線微分位相コントラスト顕微鏡による生物試料の位相CT
  • Author(s): 渡辺紀生，山口真史，円谷雄二，島田晃広，青木貞雄
  • Organizer: 第61回応用物理春季学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 神奈川
• [Presentation] Differential phase-contrast microscope with Foucault knife-edge scanning
  • Author(s): N. Watanabe, M. Yamaguchi, Y. Tsuburaya, A. Shimada and S. Aok
  • Organizer: The 12th Symposium on X-ray Imaging Optics
  • Place of Presentation: 大阪
• [Presentation] フーコーナイフエッジ走査フィルターを用いた位相結像の定量化
  • Author(s): 渡辺紀生、橋爪惇起、伍堂公浩、山口真史、辻村貴幸、青木貞雄
  • Organizer: 第73回応用物理学会学術講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 愛媛大学
• [Presentation] 1． Differential Phase Microscope and Micro-Tomography with a Foucault Knife-Edge Scanning Filter
  • Author(s): N. Watanabe, J. Hashizume, M. Goto, M. Yamaguchi, T. Tsujimura, and S. Aoki
  • Organizer: The 11th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy
  • Place of Presentation: Shanghai China,