Ionizing
Neutron interferometers are constructed from dislocation free perfect single crystal silicon ingots. The ingots are machined by diamond turning wheel and the blades are left attached to a common base. Typical overall dimensions of interferometers are a few tens of centimeters in length in all directions. The blades are typically a few millimeters thick and a few centimeters in height and width. After machining, the interferometers are chemically etched to remove surface damage. For an interferometer to function properly, the thickness and the separation have to be maintained within a few millionths of a meter. In addition, the blades have to be parallel within a few millionths of a radian. After nearly thirty years since the first successful construction, perhaps less than ten usable interferometers have been successfully fabricated in the world. NIST has one of the largest and perhaps the best performing interferometer in world today.
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Online: November 1998