ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor GP-SANS Polarizer
Contract Overview
Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.
AI Contract Overview
The contract involves the procurement and delivery of a polarizing cavity and magnetic housing assembly for the General-Purpose Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (GP-SANS) instrument at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) facility located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This reactor is a high-flux neutron source used for isotope production and neutron scattering experiments. The upgrade aims to enhance the GP-SANS instrument with incident beam polarization capabilities, enabling advanced spin-resolved measurements that can distinguish between nuclear and magnetic scattering, thus supporting research into magnetic order and spin-related phenomena. The scope of the contract encompasses the design, materials specification, fabrication, inspection, and delivery of the complete polarizing cavity and its magnetic housing assembly. These components are critical for producing a polarized neutron beam with a well-defined spin state before interacting with samples, facilitating sophisticated polarization analysis techniques such as polarization contrast and vector-magnetic small-angle neutron scattering. The contract is managed by the Department of Energy through ORNL’s contractor, UT-Battelle LLC, with performance expected at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Interested parties were invited to respond by July 24, 2026, with key contacts provided for program coordination.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USASet-Aside
Timeline
Response Deadline
Organization & Contact Information
Full Description
ORNL High Flux Isotope Reactor GP-SANS Polarizer
The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a high-flux research reactor that, in addition to isotope production, serves as a steady-state neutron source for a suite of neutron scattering instruments. Among these, the General-Purpose Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (GP-SANS) instrument is being upgraded to incorporate incident beam polarization capabilities. This enhancement will enable spin-resolved SANS measurements, allowing for the separation of nuclear and magnetic scattering components and facilitating studies of magnetic order, spin textures, and correlated spin structures. A critical component of this upgrade is the integration of a polarizing cavity, which utilizes magnetized supermirrors or transmission-based polarizers to produce a beam of neutrons in a well-defined spin state prior to their interaction with the sample. This capability is essential for conducting polarization analysis and advanced techniques such as polarization contrast measurements and vector-magnetic SANS.
This specification defines requirements for materials of construction, fabrication, inspection, and delivery to the Company of a complete polarizing cavity and magnetic housing assembly. The polarizing cavity and magnetic housing assembly shall be installed at the GP-SANS instrument.