Inelastic neutron scattering: A unique tool to study hydrogen in materials

Abstract

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy can measure the vibrational spectra of materials on the whole range of vibrational motions (0–4400 cm-1) and effectively open up the field of neutron spectroscopy. Unlike optical spectroscopy, INS is a technique mainly used to study hydrogen-containing materials due to the high cross section of hydrogen and the lack of selection rules. The VISION spectrometer at the SNS in Oak Ridge National Laboratory has a flux at low energy transfers up to 40 times over its predecessors and has unprecedented sensitivity. Neutrons penetrate easily through materials, metals in particular, making complex sample environments and gas dosing relatively easy. Comparison of the INS spectra with computer models is rigorous and necessary to interpret INS data. This paper presents examples of the technique’s unique capabilities for studying metal hydrides and molecular hydrogen in confinement. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.)