Fabrication and experimental evaluation of microstructured 6Li silicate fiber arrays for high spatial resolution neutron imaging

Moore, M. E.; Lousteau, J.; Trtik, P.; Bilheux, H. Z.; Pugliese, D.; Milanese, D.; Simone, A. T.; Brambilla, G.; Hayward, J. P.

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2018.12.010

This work presents the fabrication and experimental evaluation of instrumentation designed to enable higher spatial resolution neutron radiography for those performing research at neutron scattering facilities. Herein, we describe a proof-of-concept array of microstructured silicate fibers with 6Li doped cores that shows progress towards a design for μm resolution neutron radiography. The multicore fiber was fabricated by drawing stacked unit elements of Guardian Glass (Nucsafe Inc., Oak Ridge, TN, USA), a 6Li scintillating core glass, and a silicate cladding glass. These structured fibers function as an array of sub-10-μm waveguides for scintillation light. Measurements have shown a significantly increased integrated charge distribution in response to neutrons, and the spatial resolution of the radiographs is described by edge response and line spread functions of 48 ± 4 μm and 59 ± 8 μm, respectively.

Fabrication and experimental evaluation of microstructured 6Li silicate fiber arrays for high spatial resolution neutron imaging / Moore, M. E.; Lousteau, J.; Trtik, P.; Bilheux, H. Z.; Pugliese, D.; Milanese, D.; Simone, A. T.; Brambilla, G.; Hayward, J. P.. - In: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH. SECTION A, ACCELERATORS, SPECTROMETERS, DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT. - ISSN 0168-9002. - 954:161695(2020). [10.1016/j.nima.2018.12.010]