International collaboration has provided a new ability to measure the collective movement of nanoscales for soft, biological and quantum materials in the United States.
The newly commissioned neutron spin echo (ν-NSE) spectrometer from the NIST Center for Neuntron Research (NCNR) represents significant advances in studying slow dynamics in complex materials. Developed through a collaboration between the University of Delaware Neutron Science Center (CNS), NIST, and the University of Maryland and funded by the National Science Foundation’s Medium-Scale Research Infrastructure Program (Award #1935956), the instrument significantly enhances the capabilities of the US research community in software, biological sciences, engineering and magnetic materials.
Technical innovation
The spectrometer incorporates an optimally designed superconducting precipitation coil (OSCPC), which will increase maximum Fourier time by 2.5 times. This enhancement improves data collection rate by using high-intensity short neutron wavelengths. The instrument is expected to routinely achieve Fourier times of 300 ns, and can reach 700 ns for strongly scattered samples, thereby extending the accessible time scale for dynamic studies. (nist)
Additional key components include neutron velocity selectors (NVS) and polarizers designed for long-wavelength operation, updated position sensitivity detectors (PSDs) with improved counting rate and sensitivity, and advanced Pythagoras correction coils. These components collectively improve the performance of the instrument, especially for long-wavelength neutron applications. Here, the third power of the wavelength improves the resolution of the device. (nist)
Scientific influence
NSE spectrometers allow high-resolution measurement of the slow dynamics of a variety of systems, including polymers, surfactant membranes, confined liquids, and magnetic materials. In particular, we cover the micro length scale and pico to microtimescales that are not accessible by other methods (Figure 1). By directly measuring the actual portion of the intermediate scattering function I(q, t), the instrument provides unique insights into dynamics ranging from atomic to molecular scales, and from quasiparticle dynamics beyond time scales from picoseconds to hundreds of nanoseconds.
The NSE can also measure intermediate scattering functions, but also provides information on material dynamics of a similar form as the more general methods of dynamic light scattering (DLS) on a much longer length and time scale due to much longer wavelengths (~micron) compared to neutral wavelengths (~micron). An example related to biotechnology is shown in Figure 2. Here, a reference monoclonal antibody (NIST MAB) is probed in solution and the results are compared with the simulation. This unique and powerful feature is important for understanding the dynamic behavior of materials at the nanoscale, providing information in a form that is physically interpreted in a way familiar to scientists working in theory, simulation, or in a wide range of research fields.
Concentration: 10 (blue circle), 25 (green square), 50 (orange diamond), 100 mg/ml (red triangle). (c) Intermediate scattering function up to correlation time τ = 10 ns as a function of q in the range 0.05-0.3 Å-. The symbol corresponds to the ISF of free movement in nistmab, with the solid black line fit using i(q, t)/i(q, 0) = exp(-q²deffτ), and the dashed line is the fixed center of nistmab’s mass motion. J. Nayem & Y. Provided by Liu (in preparation)
Joint initiatives and future outlook
The successful development and commissioning of NSE spectrometers highlights the importance of collaboration in advance of scientific infrastructure. The NSE spectrometer has adapted a technological innovation from the J-NSE-Phoenix sister instrument of Heinz Meier Livenitz Senturm (MLZ), run by the Jewerich Neutron Science Center (JCNS). Partnerships with academic institutions, NIST and the International Institutes have created cutting-edge equipment that will serve the research community for years to come. Once the spectrometer is fully operational, it is poised to promote groundbreaking research in soft physics, biology and materials science, contributing to advances in areas such as functional polymers, drug development, membrane technology, and energy storage.
The instrument is expected to be accessible to users in 2026 under the auspices of NIST’s High-Resolution Neutron Scattering Center (CHRNS). For more information about the device and its functions and operation schedules, please refer to the official NIST page: (NIST).
This article will also be featured in the 23rd edition of Quarterly Publication.
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