The Solid-State Neutron Detector

The Solid-State Neutron Detector (SoNDe) project aims to develop a high-resolution neutron detector technique that will enable the construction of position-sensitive neutron detectors for high-flux sources, such as the upcoming European Spallation Source (ESS). Moreover, by avoiding the use of 3He in this detector the 3He-shortage, which might otherwise impede the construction of such large-scale facilities, can be alleviated. The main features of the envisioned detector technique are: 1) high-flux capabi lity, capable of handling the peak-flux of up-to-date spallation sources (gain factor of 20 over current detectors) 2) high-resolution of 3 mm by single-pixel technique, below by interpolation 3) high counting efficiency of 80 % or more 4) no beam stop ne cessary, thus enabling investigations with direct beam intensity 5) strategic independence of 3He 6) time-of-flight (TOF) capability, necessary to exploit maximum flux, with a time resolution in the µs regime 7) modularity, improving maintenance character istics of present neutron detectors Compared to existing technology a gain factor in counting rate of 20 is possible. This enables the best possible use of the sources such as the ESS. Benefiting instruments at such a facility are the Small-Angle Neutro n Scattering (SANS) instruments, now approved by the scientific advisory committee, neutron reflectometers and any instrument needing to detect neutrons with a millimeter accuracy on a large detector area. Detectors of this kind will be capable of usage in a wide array of neutron instruments at facilities of European interest, among them the Institute Laue-Langevin (ILL) in France, the Maier-Leibnitz-Zentrum (MLZ) in Germany, Laboratoire Léon-Brillouin (LLB) in France and ISIS in the UK. We also expect to find applications in control of nuclear materials and nuclear nonproliferation activities