Compact and versatile neutron imaging detector with sub-4μm spatial resolution based on a single-crystal thin-film scintillator

• DOI: 10.1364/oe.448932
• Publication Date: 2022-01-28T09:30:09Z
• Authors: Alessandro Tengat...; Nikolay Kardjilov; Lukas Helfen; Paul-Antoine Doui...; Nicolas Lenoir; Henning Markötter; Andrè Hilger; Tobias Arlt; Melanie Paulisch; Thomas Turek; Ingo Manke
• Keywords: high neutron imaging resolution ; detector; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

A large and increasing number of scientific domains pushes for high neutron imaging resolution achieved in reasonable times. Here we present the principle, design and performance of a detector based on infinity corrected optics combined with a crystalline Gd3Ga5O12 : Eu scintillator, which provides an isotropic sub-4 µm true resolution. The exposure times are only of a few minutes per image. This is made possible also by the uniquely intense cold neutron flux available at the imaging beamline NeXT-Grenoble. These comparatively rapid acquisitions are compatible with multiple high quality tomographic acquisitions, opening new venues for in-operando testing, as briefly exemplified here.