Neutron spectroscopy: New detector module MultiFLEXX increases count rate tenfold

At FLEXX, magnetic excitations and lattice vibrations are measured. They typically have a characteristic relationship of excitations energy and scattering angle. One data point at FLEXX measures exactly one angle and one energy transfer, with a measurement time of several seconds up to several minutes, depending on the sample. To deduce characteristic relationships, many angles and energies need to be measured. The new detector module MultiFLEXX is able to do so with a shorter data collection time: It measures 31 angles and 5 energy transfers simultaneously, being composed of 155 analysers and detectors. Each MultiFLEXX data point has a count rate 5 to 10 times smaller than a single data point at FLEXX -- thus, there is a total gain in acquisition efficiency of more than a factor of 10. This is particularly interesting for users who want to map out an excitation as a function of temperature or magnetic field -- frequent applications at FLEXX.

The detector module MultiFLEXX was developed by the FLEXX team and assembled in the HZB workshops. It has already been tested successfully in several experiments, both by external users and in the HZB-internal research on thermoelectrics.