NEUTRON DIFFRACTION WORKSHOP
SPEAKER
Dr. Matthias Gutmann, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (UK)
WHEN
15-16/06/2026
PLACE
CFM Board Room
This short course is an introduction to crystal structure analysis from single crystals using time-of-flight neutron diffraction for students or researchers with a STEM/technical background who have no (or little) prior experience with crystallography. It combines introductory lectures with practical activities in structure solution and refinement, so you’ll learn both the underlying concepts and the practical workflow to analyse measurements.
Crystal structure analysis is a quantitative analysis technique in which a sample is irradiated with neutrons or X-rays and its diffraction pattern recorded. Crystal structure analysis can be done using both powder and single crystals. Structures are commonly solved from single crystals and less so from powders.
NOTE: Participants are kindly asked to bring their own laptops, as hands-on sessions will be part of the course.
PROGRAM
Day 1
10:00-11:00: Introduction to single crystal neutron diffraction
- A little bit of history
- Basics of crystallography
- What do we measure
- How do we measure
- X-rays, electrons, neutrons
- Neutron sources
- Large scale facilities
11:00-12:00: Introduction to various structure refinement packages
- JANA
- FULLPROF
- GSAS-II
Lunch break
14:00-16:00: Practical lab 1
- Solve and refine an inorganic structure from TOF neutron single crystal
- Solve and refine crystal structure from TOF neutron single crystal
- Handling wavelength-dependent extinction in neutron TOF
- Handling twinning
- Handling disorder
Day 2
11:00-12:00: Magnetic structures
- Introduction to magnetic single crystal diffraction
- Data preparation
- Symmetry analysis
- Magnetic structure solution
- Magnetic structure refinement
12:00-12:30: Beyond the average structure
Lunch break
14:00-16:00: Practical lab 2
- Magnetic structure solution and refinement of inorganic structure