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Lichtenbergstr.1
85748 Garching

REFSANS

Horizontal time-of-flight reflectometer

This instrument is focussed on cold neutrons. All parameters given here are valid during the current operation of FRM II. Please get in touch with the instrument team well in advance for all further details (length of experiment etc.).

Instrumentscheme REFSANS

The horizontal reflectometer REFSANS operates in time-of-flight mode (TOF), each measurement at a given incident angle providing a segment of the reflectivity curve. The useable wavelength band is in the range 4 Å to 7 Å. The accessible Q_z range is expected to cover 5.0 · 10^–3 – 0.12 Å^–1. The wavelength resolution can be tuned between 3 % and 10 % by changing the chopper parameters.

The sample to detector distance can be adjusted between 1.5 and 12m.

Typical Applications

The TOF-based reflectometry can be used to characterize thin films in general. Specular reflectometry provides information about the structure along the sample’s normal; off-specular reflectometry, using the full detector coverage, is sensitive to large scale in-plane correlations in the beam direction.

Typical reflectometry experiments include:

Characterisation of polymer thin film structurein different ambient conditions (in a humidity chamber)
Investigations of biological systems such supported membranes (e.g. determination of the morphology and localization of proteins at interfaces)
Metallic thin films and multilayers
Detection and identification of polymer lamellae in immiscible blends or semicrystalline systems

Sample Environment

Huber high-precision goniometer for rotation, translation, and height
Trioptics Autocollimator system for a fast, easy and reliable sample alignment
Vibration controlled NIMA 602XL Langmuir trough for liquid-air interfaces studies
Gamry Reference 600+ Potentiostat/Galvanostat/ ZRA device for electrochemical investigations
Magnetic fields up to 7 T
Cryostat
Julabo Presto A40 Thermostat for temperature control in the range -20 ≤ T/°C≤ 80
Furnace for solid-air interface investigations
Automatable solvent exchange for contrast variation studies

Technical Data

Sample

Size: 50 × 80 mm² for solid-liquid and 70 × 70 mm² for solid-gas interfaces. Different dimensions are of course possible.
Sample changer for hosting up to five samples

Chopper system (Airbus Defence and Space)

Typical wavelengths: 4 ≤ λ/Å ≤ 7
Wavelength resolution: 3 % ≤ Δλ/λ ≤ 10 %

Optic system

Collimation length variable from 2.5 m up to 8.9 m defined by two vertical adjustable slits (0 – 12 mm)
Maximum beam size at sample position: 12 mm x 80 mm (h x w)
Tiltable optic elements settable to neutron guide, vertical collimated, and full collimated modes. For NR the horizontal divergence is maximized by means of supermirrors (m = 2 – 3)
Typical incident angles for downward bent beam: 0.70 deg and 2.75 deg

Q-range

5.0·10–3 ≤ Qz/Å–1≤ 0.12

Detector (DENEX DNX-700 TN)

High-resolution, position sensitive, multiwire ³He Detector
Size: 500 × 680 mm²
Pixel size: 2.1 mm (H) × 2.9 mm (V)
Sample – detector distance: from 1.5 m to 12 m

Detection mode

List mode acquisition, allowing optimization of the resolution/ intensity trade-off AFTER the experiment.

Instrument Scientists

Dr. Jean-François Moulin
Phone: +49 (0)89 289-10762
E-Mail: jean-francois.moulin@hzg.de

Dr. Gaetano Mangiapia
Phone: +49 (0)89 158860-839
E-Mail: gaetano.mangiapia@hzg.de

Martin Haese
Phone: +49 (0)89 158860-763
E-Mail: martin.haese@hzg.de

REFSANS
Phone: +49 (0)89 158860-550

Operated by

Publications

Find the latest publications regarding REFSANS in our publication database iMPULSE:

impulse.mlz-garching.de

Citation of the instrument

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum. (2015). REFSANS: Reflectometer and evanescent wave small angle neutron spectrometer. Journal of large-scale research facilities, 1, A9. http://dx.doi.org/10.17815/jlsrf-1-31

For citation please always include the DOI.

Instrument control

Gallery

REFSANS

GISANS

Figure 1: The GISANS focusing channels (used in NGE3 and 4).

Reflectivity curve

Figure 2: Typical reflectivity curve. Obtained for a biological sample (POPC/POPS Phospholipid bilayer supported on Si).

Reconstructed Bragg rods

Figure 3: Bragg rods reconstructed from the GISANS pattern of a nanostructured Gd samples (horizontal wires with spacing 250 nm). The annotation marks the expected peak positions.