The modernization of the IN6 spectrometer to SHARP (Spectromètre Hybride Alpes Région Parisienne) and then to SHARPER (SHARP Extended in Resolution) installed at the Institut Laue Langevin and initiated by the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin in 2021, is now complete. The new spectrometer brings performances for a better counting rate, with an extension of accessible resolutions, energy range, and scattering vectors.
The neutron spectrometer SHARPER was designed to meet the needs of diverse scientific communities, enabling it to address societal challenges in the fields of energy, health, quantum physics, and the environment.
SHARPER is a state-of-the-art direct-geometry, time-of-flight neutron spectrometer installed at Institut Laue Langevin, Grenoble. It allows measuring precisely the energy transferred from the neutrons to the sample with high precision and give insight in the excitations and relaxational phenomena in condensed matter. The so-called Quasi Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS) signal, gives access to both correlation times, transport properties and the geometry of the movements at the molecular level.
SHARPER delivers unparalleled performance across a wide range of time and length scales. This advanced instrument combines high neutron flux and exceptional energy resolution, achieving 50 μeV, making it ideal for investigating intricate material dynamics. The huge 23 m3 chamber under vacuum containing 240 positon sensitive detectors (two meters long) greatly improve the background noise and the definition of diffraction patterns.
Optimized for a diverse range of scientific applications, SHARPER sets a new standard in the study of complex material behavior. For example, in the field energy storage the inelastic neutron scattering uncovers mechanisms like ion mobility and lattice dynamics, for the optimization of batteries and hydrogen storage systems (Fig.
1a). In the field of quantum materials low-energy excitations arising from atomic vibrations and electronic interactions, offer valuable insights into temperature-dependent properties critical for quantum computing and advanced electronics (Fig.
1b).
Figures : (1a) Schematic illustration of an AEM-Fuel Cell and its mode of operation. Sketches illustrating the polymeric membrane, ions and water dynamics (adapted from Foglia, Nat. Mat..).
(1b)Low-energy magnetic excitations of Mn12 Acetate spin cluster.
First friendly users are expected in June 2025. A new monochromator is under development to extend the energy resolution and bridge the temporal gap with backscattering spectrometers.
Fundings
- French-Swedish protocol and agreement (CEA - CNRS - Swedish Research Council) for the design and construction of neutron spectrometers, initiated as part of the European Spallation Source (ESS).
- Program 172 of the French Ministry of Research.
- French Fédération de la Diffusion Neutronique (2FDN) for the sample well lift.