Development of a polarized 3He neutron spin filter for POLANO at J-PARC

Abstract

We have developed a polarized 3He neutron spin filter (NSF) for a new polarized neutron spectrometer, POLANO, at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). POLANO aims to utilize high energy neutrons polarized by a 3He NSF and spin analyzed by an array of magnetic supermirrors for inelastic neutron scattering. The 3He gas is continuously polarized in-situ by spin-exchange optical pumping to provide a highly and stably polarized neutron beam. The POLANO 3He NSF is designed to polarize neutrons with energies as high as 200 meV and fit in a restricted space. It is equipped with adiabatic fast passage NMR that enables one to flip the 3He spins, and consequently, the neutron spins.