Neutron beams for the study of condensed matter: A view of the first half-century

Abstract

Abstract Neutron diffraction was first demonstrated in 1936 but awaited the development of the nuclear reactor before becoming a practical technique for the study of condensed matter. Neutrons have unique advantages for the location of hydrogen atoms, the recognition of magnetic architecture and the study of crystal vibrations and atomic and molecular motions. The techniques available exploit the optical properties of neutrons over a wavelength range from O5 to 500 Å. Progress has gone hand in hand with a steady increase of reactor flux over 50 years but future improvements may depend on pulsed linear accelerators as the source of neutrons.