Neutron scattering experiments performed on iron-based superconducting material at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Canada's Chalk River Laboratories have unveiled surprising changes in the materials' subatomic structural and magnetic properties when subjected to relatively low pressures. The experiments on barium iron arsenide crystals revealed changes in spin-ordering and phase transitions that offer insight into the dynamics that enable high-temperature superconductivity. Boston University researcher Stephen Wilson, lead author of the Physical Review Letters paper, cited the triple-axis spectrometer at ORNL's High Flux Isotope Reactor along with the laboratory's high-quality crystal fabrication capability in the success of the experiments. "In general, the world-class instruments at HFIR and the high neutron flux there make difficult experiments like this one possible," Wilson said. - Bill Cabage, 865.574.4399, April 03, 2012
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