Development of a ^3He Gas Filling Station at the China Spallation Neutron Source

At the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), we have developed a custom gas-filling station, a glassblowing workshop, and a spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) system for producing high-quality ^3He-based neutron spin filter (NSF) cells. The gas-filling station is capable of routinely filling ^3He cells made from GE180 glass of various dimensions, to be used as neutron polarizers and analyzers on beamlines at the CSNS. Performance tests on cells fabricated at our gas-filling station are conducted via neutron transmission and nuclear-magnetic-resonance measurements, revealing nominal filling pressures, and a saturated ^3He polarization in the region of 80%, with a lifetime of approximately 240 hours. These results demonstrate our ability to produce competitive NSF cells to meet the ever-increasing research needs of the polarized neutron research community.