Characterizing Materials Using X-ray and Neutron Scattering

Graduate Course PHY905 section 2

by

 Prof. Simon Billinge
&
Dr. Thomas Proffen
News (Last update: 12 November 1999)
Here are the data from Jan and Connie's excellent sample. The useful run from the sample (which was La0.75Ca0.25MnO3) is run number 6. Please use the same background run from the PDFgetX example for background subtraction.

The scheduled class times are :
  • Lecture: Tuesdays, 2:10pm - 3:30pm in room 209
  • Computer class: Thursdays, 9:00am - 12:00am in room 346, Giltner Hall

Click here for the computer class assignments ..

Welcome to the information pages for the graduate course PHY905-2 on characterizing materials using scattering, that will be held for the first time in the fall semester 1999. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Prof. Simon Billinge (email: billinge@pa.msu.edu) or Dr. Thomas Proffen (email: proffen@pa.msu.edu). Note that the course is limited 20 so don't wait too long with signing up ... 
Outline
Scattering is a fundamental tool of condensed matter physics and chemistry used to obtain atomic scale information about a material. There are a wide variety of scattering techniques which give information about atomic structure, magnetic structure, atomic dynamics, electronic structure of atoms, diffusion, surface information, phase and atomic composition and tertiary structure such as particle size, shape and dimensionality. Modern sources such as third-generation x-ray synchrotron sources and spallation neutron sources give unprecedented power, extending the usefulness of these techniques. 

This course will cover the basics of diffraction and scattering with an emphasis placed on gaining an intuitive understanding of the scattering process. We will give an overview of the kinds of problems in materials science which can be studied using scattering, and the scattering techniques themselves. Students will carry out detailed case-studies on selected problems. 

The course will make extensive use of computer simulation techniques keeping to a minimum the amount of mathematical formalism which is required. Emphasis will be placed on modern neutron and synchrotron based approaches. 
Course contents
  • Intuitive understanding of the scattering process (about 25% of the course)
    • Scattering from simple slit and double slit
    • Scattering of a single object up to small aggregates of objects
    • Simulating the scattering result on the computer using the program DISCUS
    • Concept of Fourier Transform and its properties
    • Going from a small number of atoms to crystals
    • Concept of reciprocal space and its relation to real space
    • Real versus perfect crystals (even more computer simulations) 

      •  
  • Experimental basics of scattering (about 10% of the course)
    • Radiation sources (X-ray tube, synchrotron and spallation neutron sources)
    • Typical experimental setups (e.g. Powder diffraction, EXAFS, ..)
    • Classification of the scattering process (elastic - inelastic, coherent - incoherent)
    • How plan an experiment and get access to synchrotron and neutron sources ?
    • Site visit to neutron and synchrotron facilities at Argonne National Laboratory.

      •  
  • Application of scattering to materials science problems (about 25% of the course)
    • Atomic structure (average structure, defects, short-range order)
    • Atomic dynamics (phonons)
    • Electronic structure, atomic valence states
    • Magnetic structure and dynamics
    • Other topics such as tertiary or surface structure or diffusion

      •  
  • Selected problems in more detail (about 40% of the course)
    • Modulated structures (computer simulations)
    • Powder diffraction (students collect data, Rietveld, PDF analysis)
    • Problems that are of particular interest of class members
Prerequisites
None. However, a working knowledge of mathematics and computer use is useful. 
Links to further information
Here is a (still growing) list of links to scattering related information, programs and synchrotron and neutron sources. 

© Th. Proffen, 1999