High resolution Bragg edge transmission spectroscopy at pulsed neutron sources: Proof of principle experiments with a neutron counting MCP detector

The high spatial and temporal resolution of a neutron counting detector using microchannel plates (MCPs) combined with Medipix2/Timepix readout can substantially improve the spatial resolution of neutron transmission spectroscopy, as shown in our proof-of-principle experiments. Provided that the neutron fluence and data acquisition time are sufficient, transmission spectra can be acquired in each 55×55 μm2 pixel of the detector, allowing high spatial resolution mapping of Bragg edge positions. Our first experiment demonstrates that energy resolution as high as ΔE/E<1% or ΔE<4 mÅ can be achieved. Variation of the residual strain in a well-characterized VAMAS round robin shrink-fitted Al ring-and-plug sample was measured with ∼200 microstrain resolution through an accurate mapping of the first (1 1 1) Bragg edge. The measured stress profile agrees well with the expected values for that particular sample. More developments on the detector processing electronics are required in order to reduce the data acquisition times by enabling simultaneous measurements of spectra in a wide energy range covering multiple Bragg edges.