Tuning Neutron Resonance Spin-Echo Spectrometers with Pulsed Beams

Abstract

The neutron spin-echo spectroscopy technique involving pulsed beams can be used to effectively access a wide range of space-time correlations of condensed matter. In this study, the features of this technique, in particular, the modulation of the intensity with zero effort (MIEZE) by using pulsed beams, which is based on the quantum-state manipulation of the neutron spin and energy, are comprehensively examined. A formulation of the MIEZE combined with the time of flight method (TOF MIEZE) is established by considering the characteristics of the pulsed neutron beams. Moreover, a parameter, namely, the detuning parameter, is introduced as a measure of the magnitude of detuning from the optimized instrumental state, known as the spin-echo condition. The phase and frequency shifts of the neutron intensity signals resulting from the TOF MIEZE under various configurations are investigated systematically. It is found that the detuning parameter equals the derivative of phase with respect to the TOF, whose zero-point corresponds to the spin-echo condition. The theoretical predictions on phase and frequency shifts by the established formulation are well validated by the experiments using an intense pulsed neutron source. The detuning parameter helps clarify the principle of the TOF MIEZE technique and can provide practical guidance regarding the implementation and optimization of spectrometers.