Neutron and X-ray Scattering for Quantum Materials

The application of neutron and X-ray scattering spans from crystalline matter to bio-materials and engineering, including fields like magnetism and superconductivity. Similar to the vast possibilities with X-rays at synchrotron facilities like the Swiss Light Source at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, neutron scattering is a large-scale-facility technique with neutron sources among others at PSI in Switzerland, the Institute Laue-Langevin in Grenoble and a new joint European Spallation Source under construction in Sweden. The course provides an introduction to the dynamic experimental techniques of neutron and X-ray scattering and covers the following aspects:

 

1) Theory of the neutron scattering cross section
2) Neutron sources and neutron instrumentation
3) Neutron imaging, neutron reflectivity and neutron small angle scattering
4) Neutron diffraction, crystal structures
5) Inelastic neutron scattering, phonons
6) Magnetic neutron scattering, magnetic structures
7) Inelastic magnetic neutron scattering, magnetic dynamics
8) Theory of the interaction between X-rays and matter
9) X-ray sources and X-ray instrumentation
10) X-ray absorption spectroscopy
11) X-ray emission spectroscopy and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS)
12) Resonant Elastic X-ray Scattering (REXS)
13) Inelastic X-ray Scattering
14) Time resolved pump-probe X-ray spectrosocpy

 

The course contains lectures and exercise sessions. Exercise sessions will contain derivation of relevant formulas, Monte-Carlo  simulation of neutron scattering experiments, and discussions of representative scientific articles using X-ray and neutron scattering techniques. The course includes performing a real neutron or X-ray experiment and a tour of the large-scale experimental research facilities at the PSI.