Contrast enhancement of data measured with area detectors: a way to generalize the use of neutron diffraction for thin-film studies

A denoising method is reported for the treatment of neutron scattering data obtained with position-sensitive detectors, which enhances the information obtained from weak and very weak Bragg peaks. The core element of the method is the application of a Laplacian of Gaussian filter calculated using the parameters of the resolution of the instrument. This adaptation of well established image-processing techniques offers a very efficient way to denoise the data, as shown through the application of the reported method to a study of the magnetic Bragg peaks of a 300 nm-thick epitaxial Cr film. The procedure enhances the contrast by a factor of more than 35 and thus allows precise determination of the position of the integration mask. The large contrast enhancement also lowers the detection threshold of standard elastic neutron diffractometers down to the level usually available solely on optimized triple-axis spectrometers.