ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal
This is a page describing data taken during an experiment at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. Information about the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source can be found at https://www.isis.stfc.ac.uk.
Exploring neutron Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) as a future probe of topological materials
Abstract: It has been known for some time that light can carry orbital angular momentum (OAM) in addition to the more familiar spin angular momentum that is manifested in the polarization of the light wave. Optical OAM expands the arsenal of tools available to explore matter though light-matter interactions. More recently, experiments have demonstrated x-ray OAM and there are indications that beams of quantum particles with non-zero mass (such as neutrons) may also exhibit this phenomenon. We plan to measure neutron scattering from forked diffraction gratings, made using electron-beam lithography by our collaborators at the Center for Nanophase Materials Science at Oak Ridge Lab. Gratings of this type have been shown to produce "vortex light" (i.e. waves with specific values of OAM) when exposed to electromagnetic radiation. Our experiment will be a first step in exploring whether neutron OAM can be added to the neutron scattering toolbox to probe materials and, in particular, to characterize topological structures such as skyrmions that have been proposed for next generation electronic components.
Principal Investigator: Professor Roger Pynn
Experimenter: Mr Samuel McKay
Experimenter: Dr Steven Parnell
Experimenter: Dr Fankang Li
Experimenter: Miss Melissa Henderson
Experimenter: Dr Stephen Kuhn
Local Contact: Dr Robert Dalgliesh
DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2410229
ISIS Experiment Number: RB2410229
| Part DOI | Instrument | Public release date | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2410229-1 | LARMOR | 16 July 2027 | Download |
Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation
The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research
publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher],
[doi]
For Example:
Professor Roger Pynn et al; (2024): Exploring neutron Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) as a future probe of topological materials, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2410229
Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.
