LNS: Laboratory for Neutron Scattering

The Laboratory for Neutron Scattering (LNS) at the Paul Scherrer Institute is responsible for the scientific exploitation, operation and development of neutron scattering instruments at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ). The team of 40 senior scientists, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students further collaborates on diverse research projects ranging from modern topics in condensed matter physics and materials science to pressing questions in energy research and health care. read more



We offer students the possibility to do their educational research at our facilities. See Teaching and Education for detailed information on Master/Diploma thesis, Bachelor/Semester work and practical courses at the LNS. Currently we have

• Semester projects on Highly frustrated magnets and several other topics.

14. May 2013

2013 ESS Science Symposium: Neutrons for Future Energy Strategy

May 27-29, 2013, at the Paul Scherrer Institute. Finite fossil fuel reserves and growing environmental concerns have lead to an increase of interest in so-called renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or water energy. Consequently, the conversion and storage of energy and the supply of synthetic fuels will become more and more important in the near future. This symposium will bring together experts from the fields energy research and scientists from the neutron scattering community. In the context of this symposium energy research will refer to synthetic fuels, solar cells, fuel cells and batteries and materials for turbines (wind and/or water). Emphasis will be put on sample environment, in particular for in-situ and operando experiments; on correlations between structure and transport processes, on interactions of materials with their ambient environment; and on synergies with synchrotron radiation and muon spin spectroscopy. The symposium will cover all topics from diffraction to spectroscopy and imaging.

3. May 2013

Ramunas Skaudzius meets the President of Lithuania

On April 25, Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences honored Dr. Meile Luksiene by a memorial plaque that was unveiled by Dalia Grybauskaite, the President of Lithuania. Ramunas Skaudzius, recipient of the second Meile Luksiene Prize by the Ministry of Education of Lithuania, gave a speech at the ceremony. He is a PhD student working on garnet materials in the Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry at Vilnius University and is spending a year at the LNS learning neutron diffraction. His stay is supported by a SCIEX Fellowship from the Swiss Government with the aim to foster scientific exchange with the new member states of the European Union.

12. March 2013

Magnetic Cluster Excitations

A. Furrer et al., Reviews of Modern Physics 85, 367 (2013). Magnetic clusters, i.e., assemblies of a finite number (between two or three and several hundred) of interacting spin centers which are magnetically decoupled from their environment, can be found in many materials ranging from inorganic compounds and magnetic molecules to artificial metal structures formed on surfaces and metalloproteins. Their magnetic excitation spectra are determined by the nature of the spin centers and of the magnetic interactions, and the particular arrangement of the mutual interaction paths between the spin centers. Small clusters of up to four magnetic ions are ideal model systems in which to examine the fundamental magnetic interactions, which are usually dominated by Heisenberg exchange, but often complemented by anisotropic and/or higher-order interactions. In large magnetic clusters, which may potentially deal with a dozen or more spin centers, there is the possibility of novel many-body quantum states and quantum phenomena. In this review the necessary theoretical concepts and experimental techniques to study the magnetic cluster excitations and the resulting characteristic magnetic properties are introduced, followed by examples of small clusters, demonstrating the enormous amount of detailed physical information that can be retrieved. The current understanding of the excitations and their physical interpretation in the molecular nanomagnets which represent large magnetic clusters is then presented, with a section devoted to the subclass of single-molecule magnets, distinguished by displaying quantum tunneling of the magnetization. Finally, there is a summary of some quantum many-body states which evolve in magnetic insulators characterized by built-in or field-induced magnetic clusters. The review concludes by addressing future perspectives in the field of magnetic cluster excitations.