This flourishing science has extensive applications in condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, materials science, and polymer science. The University of Rhode Island Physics Department operates three neutron scattering instruments at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center. The polarized neutron small angle scattering spectrometer is a versatile instrument which is equipped to be used either in small angle neutron scattering or polarized neutron experiments. It uses a crystal monochromator which may be polarizing, to select a wavelength from the reactor spectrum. The single linear position sensitive detector 1 m long has a position resolution of 0.5 cm.
Equipment is available to measure samples under varying temperature and magnetic field conditions.
Recently, it has been used extensively for transmission depolarization studies of magnetic properties of high temperature superconductors. In addition to the earlier single layer reflecting analyzer, a polarizing supermirror analyzer has recently been developed. The two axis diffractometer is a step scan, single detector instrument. Stepping motors, which are now controlled by a recently installed computer, can adjust the sample, detector and monochromator settings. This instrument has recently been renovated and modified in preparation for use with polarized neutrons.