High-spatial-resolution measurement of magnetization distribution using polarized neutron imaging

The evaluation of the magnetization distribution inside a bulk magnet is important for ensuring the performance of automotive motors because it strongly depends on the quality of magnetization inside the permanent magnet. In the conventional destructive method, it is difficult to accurately measure the magnetization with a high spatial resolution. The polarized neutron imaging technique can be used to visualize the distribution of the magnetic flux density inside a magnet nondestructively. In this study, we demonstrated the imaging of the magnetization distribution using polarized neutrons in an anisotropic ferrite magnet sample. The 2D distribution of the magnetization was experimentally obtained by polarized neutron imaging with a high spatial resolution of less than 1 mm. Furthermore, the validity of the results was confirmed by comparing them with those obtained using the conventional destructive method.