Neutron Scattering with a Triple-Axis Spectrometer: Basic Techniques

This practical guidebook is written for graduate and post-doctoral students, as well as for experienced researchers new to neutron scattering. Introductory chapters summarize useful scattering formulas and describe the components of a spectrometer. The authors then discuss the resolution function and focusing effects. Simple examples of phonon and magnon measurements are presented. Important chapters cover spurious effects in inelastic and elastic measurements, and how to avoid them. The last chapter covers techniques for, and applications of, polarization analysis.

Gen Shirane received his doctorate in physics from the University of Tokyo in 1954. He has used neutron scattering extensively in studies of magnetism, ferroelectricity, lattice dynamics, and phase transitions.

Stephen Shapiro obtained his PhD in physics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1969. He is particularly interested in applying neutron and x-ray scattering techniques to study structural and magnetic phase transitions in condensed matter systems.

John Tranquada received his PhD in physics from the University of Washington (Seattle) in 1983. His work focuses on experimental studies of correlated electron systems, especially high-temperature superconductors and transition-metal oxides using neutron scattering and other techniques.