Polarized neutron Laue diffraction on a crystal containing dynamically polarized proton spins
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2013
A polarized neutron Laue diffraction experiment on a single crystal of
neodymium-doped lanthanum magnesium nitrate hydrate containing polarized
proton spins is reported. By using dynamic nuclear polarization to polarize the
proton spins, it is demonstrated that the intensities of the Bragg peaks can be
enhanced or diminished significantly, whilst the incoherent background, due to
proton spin disorder, is reduced. It follows that the method offers unique
possibilities to tune continuously the contrast of the Bragg reflections and
thereby represents a new tool for increasing substantially the signal-to-noise
ratio in neutron diffraction patterns of hydrogenous matter.