Operating principle of the superconducting neutron detector

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14566
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 31010:Nuclear engineering-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022-2023); Osaka Prefecture University (2021)
• Principal Investigator: VU THE DANG 大阪公立大学, 大学院工学研究科, 特任助教 (60826121)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Neutron detector / CB-KID / Neutron pulse / Neutron image

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project achieved the following things. (1) Stabilization of temperature was achieved as T = 5K +/- 73uK. Spatial resolution becomes better due to propagation velocity stability. (2) We built a new cryostat to mount a
sample at room temperature. (3) We achieved the best resolution of 10um for a cryogenic-temperature sample and 24um for a room-temperature sample. (4) We can conduct the energy-resolving spectroscopy from 1meV to 500keV. (5) We conducted neutron transmission imaging using various interesting samples. References: [1] T. Ishida, T.D. Vu, at al., J. Low Temp. Phys. 214, 152 (2024).
[2] T.D. Vu, et al., Invited talks at 4th ICEBA2023 (Dec 8th 2023, HCM, Vietnam). [3] T.D. Vu et al., J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2545, 012019 (2023). [4] H. Shishido, T.D. Vu, et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 56, 1108-1113 (2023).

Free Research Field

Physics and electronics

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

Our CB-KID method can be used for many scientific/industrial purposes such as (1) hydrogen embrittlement of steel, (2) imaging plant-soil systems, (3) water dynamics in cells, (4) magnetic domains in magnetism, (5) water removal efficiency from fuel cells, (5) ionic pulsation in Li batteries.