Permanent magnetic field-prism polarizer for perfect crystal neutron interferometers

Abstract

Spin-dependent bi-refringence of neutrons upon passage through the air gap of a prismatically shaped permanent magnet yoke is used to split a thermal neutron beam in two polarized sub-beams with slightly different directions. This method is ideal to polarize the neutrons within perfect crystal interferometers without loss of intensity. Using a sequential arrangement of two such prisms a splitting larger than twice the rocking-curve width of a perfect crystal Mach-Zehndertype neutron interferometer has been achieved, yielding a beam polarization of about 97%. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.