Hybrid Spectrometer
Mission Statement
Measures excitations in small single crystals with optional polarization analysis.
Instrument Description
HYSPEC is a versatile spectrometer that allows for ground-breaking investigations of the low-energy, atomic-scale dynamical properties of crystalline solids. Its Bragg focusing optics makes it well suited for measurement of excitations in small single-crystal specimens in a wide range of ancillary sample environments. Full or partial neutron polarization analysis can be deployed to provide unambiguous separation of nuclear and magnetic scattering.
HYSPEC is a high-intensity, time-of-flight, direct-geometry spectrometer (DGS). The incident neutron beam is monochromated using a Fermi chopper with short, straight blades, and is then vertically focused by Bragg scattering onto the sample position by either a highly-oriented pyrolitic graphite (unpolarized) or a Heusler (polarized) crystal array. Neutrons are detected by a bank of 3He tubes that can be positioned over a wide range of scattering angles about the sample vertical axis. Polarization analysis is accomplished by using the Heusler crystal array to polarize the incident beam, and a supermirror wide-angle polarization analyzer, designed and fabricated by the Paul Sherrer Institut, to analyze the scattered beam.
HYSPEC’s niche among the family of DGS’s at the SNS and the triple axis spectrometers at HFIR includes:
- Polarization analysis option
- Large configurable horizontal angle detector acceptance
- Vertical focusing enables good statistics, for either small single crystals or extreme conditions
- A cold neutron incident energy range optimized for 3.8 meV < Ei < 60 meV unpolarized and 3.8 meV < Ei < 25 meV polarized
- Moderate energy transfer resolution, between that of CNCS andcold neutron triple-axis spectrometers such as CTAX at HFIR
Applications
HYSPEC can be used for leading-edge studies in disciplines such as quantum materials. Contemporary popular themes comprise unconventional superconductors, itinerant magnets, and geometrically frustrated magnets.
Specifications
| Moderator | Coupled cryogenic hydrogen |
| Source – Fermi chopper distance | 37.2 m |
| Chopper – sample distance | 3.6 m |
| Sample – detector distance | 4.5 m |
| Focusing crystals to sample distance | 1.8m |
| Unpolarized incident energy range* | 3.8 — 60 meV |
| Resolution (elastic scattering) | 2 — 20% Ei |
| Detector coverage horizontal | 60° within -118° — 118° |
| Detector coverage vertical | -6.5° — 6.5° |
| Minimum detector angle | 3° |
| Beam Size | 6 cm x 4 cm unfocused, or 3 cm x 3 cm focused, with fully adjustable motorized slits in the horizontal and vertical directions |
*Polarized incident energy range 3.8-20 meV. High magnetic field (> 8 T) incident energy range 5.1-60 meV.
HYSPEC Instrument Team
Please select link below to email the instrument team. Be sure to include your name and email address.
HYSPEC Mail-in Program
- Mail-in proposals for HYSPEC may be submitted at any time and are reviewed as they are received.
- Measurements will be allocated time on a first-come/first-served basis up to the maximum amount of mail-in time available for a given cycle.
- Mail-in proposals will be evaluated for conflicts with other active proposals at the ORNL neutron scattering facilities.
- An experimental status report or a publication reference is required before a 2nd mail-in proposal will be approved from the same research group.
- The requested beamtime per proposal can be in 8-hour increments up to 24 hours total.
- A proposal may request up to 3 samples be measured. An empty sample can counts toward the three samples.
- Users may specify temperatures between 0.3 K and 320 K, measurement times per sample, and standard configurations of the instrument (i.e. high flux or high resolution mode for a given incident energy) for each measurement. For 0.3 K measurements, users are advised to contact the instrument team directly.
- Sample cooling and warming times are included in the allotted beamtime.
- Sample cans may be requested to be sent to the users for filling and sealing, or sample cans can be filled by NSD staff at ORNL. Users will be given the choice of several standard sample can sizes and geometries for their measurement.
- Mail-in experiments will not be scheduled until sample shipment is arranged with the HYSPEC team.
- All shipment requirements of the general user program also apply to the HYSPEC mail-in program.
- Mail-in proposals must include a single page written proposal (template is available at the bottom of the HYSPEC mail-in webpage) and a measurement plan (spreadsheet template is available at the bottom of the HYSPEC mail-in webpage).
- Users will be told of the approximate date for the measurement. Due to the mail-in nature of the experiment, users will not be guaranteed the ability to modify the experiment plan during the measurement. Mail-in Users will not be given the ability to control the instrument remotely.
- Data will be reduced following standard data reduction protocol. Data files to be made available are *.nxs files and *.nxspe files (powder averaged, 0.5 degree binning with 0.5% of Ei energy bins). Autoreduced data will be available during or immediately after the measurement is completed via standard user data access routes.
- Submit your proposal using the IPTS system and choosing the “Mail-in” proposal type.
For additional information regarding the user program at the ORNL neutron scattering facilities, visit the More User Information page.
Helpful Documents
Information for HYSPEC Users
- How to Use HYSPEC
- Quick Reference Guide for Users
- HYSPEC Crystal Alignment Guide
- HYSPEC Sample Mounting Aid
Useful HYSPEC relevant links during an experiment:
Useful reduction resources:
Useful databases:
- Spin Wave Information Catalogue (SWIC) (XCAMS account required)
- Bilbao Crystallographic Server
Useful modeling links:
Sample Environment of the HYSPEC Instrument (representative)
| Closed-cycle refrigerators | CCR-010 | HYSPEC bottom-loading, high-temperature CCR |
| CCR-019 | HYSPEC CCR | |
| Furnaces | HOT-016 | 70mm furnace |
| HOT-019 | 70mm controlled atmosphere furnace | |
| Liquid helium cryostats | CRYO-01 | JANIS cryo/furnace |
| CRYO-009 | 100 mm HYSPEC orange cryostat | |
| Magnet Systems | MAG-001 | Slim SAM 5T vertical field actively shielded |
| MAG-005 | 8T Vertical Field, Symmetric | |
| Ultra-low temperature devices | ULT-006 | HelioxVT A – 100 mm 3HE insert |
| ULT-003 | Oxford Dil fridge insert |
The list above is representative; for a more thorough listing that includes complementary resources please see the Sample Environments Group and where available filter using ‘BL-14B’.
MAG-009 introduces some limitations to HYSPEC operation. The lowest incident energy is 5.1 meV, and this magnet is incompatible with our polarization capabilities (no pre-sample flipper and no supermirror array analyser).
There are two dedicated sample environments at HYSPEC: an AS Scientific 100 mm bore Orange Cryostat, and an ARS 210 Bottom-Loading Closed Cycle Refrigerator.
HYSPEC’s closed cycle refrigerator permits a temperature range of 4 K – 300 K. It is compatible with the 3-He polarization analysis system. It can accommodate SNS powder cans, HFIR sample cans, and the new soda cans. Users are encouraged to use one of these cans. If the sample is mounted in another way, please contact the HYSPEC instrument team at least 1 month prior to the experiment so we can determine feasibility and prepare an adaptor for you.
The dedicated orange cryostat can operate in the temperature range 1.5 K to 300 K. It is equipped with a motorized rotation stage for the sample stick and is compatible with the 3He insert which provides access to temperatures down to 300 mK.
Sample environment systems at HYSPEC are ‘tail mounted’, in that they are supported from the bottom of a sample environment, below the sample. This contrasts with many SNS instruments that employ a flange mounting system from above the sample. If you are interested in other sample environments, please contact the HYSPEC instrument team and allow for several months so we can prepare a tail adapter.