Greeting from the director of NSL

Greeting from the director of NSL

Neutron Science Laboratory (NSL) was established in 1993 as an affiliated research facility of Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo (originally named Neutron Scattering Laboratory). This was to strongly promote the nationwide general user program of neutron scattering using the research reactor JRR-3 (originally called JRR-3M), which was renovated and reached criticality in 1990.  Since then, for the past 30 years, promoting general user program for JRR-3 has been our biggest mission.

The environment surrounding neutron scattering has changed significantly over the past 30 years. There has been a dramatic advancement in accelerator-based neutron generation technology, and highly efficient neutron scattering using the ultra-high brightness pulsed neutrons obtained from the accelerator sources has been realized at two locations around the world (SNS in United States and J-PARC in Japan). On the other hand, the decrease in the number of research reactors worldwide for neutron scattering is an overarching issue. The role of JRR-3, where we have established our roots, has become increasingly important even on a global scale.

There has also been a major change in the role played by neutron scattering techniques. Neutron scattering has traditionally been used in research fields such as magnetism, but now, making the most of light element sensitivity of neutrons, materials science research, such as battery materials development, is one of the biggest research topics.  Polymer and biopolymer research is also intensively-developing field of science using neutron scattering, taking advantage of its hydrogen/deuterium contrasting capability.  Great progresses are seen in the surface and interface research, making use of high-intensity neutrons, and also in the dynamics study of small samples, enabled by advanced neutron focusing technology.  Looking around the world, we see the seeds of new neutron measurement techniques that evokes the future of neutron science, such as the proposal of a new scattering method utilizing the entangled state of neutrons and three-dimensional imaging based on neutron interference. At our laboratory, we have successfully developed a world-unique multi-analyzer spectrometer HODACA in recent years, which has increased the efficiency of inelastic scattering experiments by 70 times compared to the past.  Our neutron spin-echo instrument is about to go for the full user program, and our new neutron diffraction instrument utilizing large curved 2D position sensitive detector is under commissioning.  With our eye on the future of neutron science, we continuously conduct neutron instrument developments.

Our goal is to steadily promote general user program of neutron scattering for national and international neutron scattering community.  At the same time, we also aim at pioneering new neutron science through our own strong research and development activities. Of course, such a big goal cannot be achieved solely by ourselves. We intend to work in step with the research community and society around the globe, and hence with our highest eagerness, we would like to have your continued and strong supports for our neutron science program.