Soft condensed matters, which include polymers, colloids, liquid crystals, amphiphilic molecules, etc., are intensively studied so far from the viewpoints of physics, chemistry, biology, and industrial application. The characteristic features of these materials, for example, high susceptibilities for external forces, come from their hierarchical structures and dynamics. It is very important to investigate an origin and a mechanism of self-organization of hierarchical structures and dynamical behaviors depending on spatial scales for understanding the characteristic feature of these materials.
Neutron scattering is a powerful method to investigate soft condensed matters, because it is easier to observe light atoms such as hydrogen, which is one of main constituents of soft condensed matters, than x-ray scattering. By substituting materials including hydrogen atoms by those with deuterium, other components could be highlighted when observed by neutrons.
This lecture focuses on "small-angle neutron scattering (SANS)" and "neutron spin echo spectroscopy (NSE)", because these methods have made success in the field of soft condensed matter. It will show the merit of neutron scattering comparing with other methods especially small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS).