Imaging with polarized neutrons

Neutrons have zero net electrical charge and can thus penetrate deeply into matter, but their intrinsic magnetic moment makes them highly sensitive to magnetic fields. These properties have been combined with radiographic (2D) and tomographic (3D) imaging methods to provide a unique technique to probe macroscopic magnetic phenomena both within and around bulk matter. Based on the spin-rotation of a polarized neutron beam as it passes through a magnetic field, this method allows the direct, real-space visualization of magnetic field distributions. It has been used to investigate the Meissner effect in a type I (Pb) and a type II (YBCO) superconductor, flux trapping in a type I (Pb) superconductor, and the electromagnetic field associated with a direct current flowing in a solenoid. The latter results have been compared to predictions calculated using the Biot–Savart law and have been found to agree well.