Three-dimensional small-angle neutron scattering (3D-SANS) analysis and its applications

Three-dimensional small-angle neutron scattering (3D-SANS) analysis is derived. This analysis using neutrons, which can penetrate matter easily, is a powerful technique to investigate the anisotropic nanoscale structures in single crystal bulk materials, although it takes a long time to get a complete data set. This technique is applied to the analysis of the anisotropic neutron scattering from a superconductor CeRu2. It suggests that planar defects correlate well with the lattice symmetry of the crystal and influence superconducting properties as pinning centers. It is also shown by simulation that the 3D-SANS analysis is useful even at intense short pulse spallation sources that give a wider band width of neutron wavelength, if the SANS profile is highly anisotropic.