Spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering (SESANS) is a novel real-space scattering technique. SESANS measures a correlation-like functionG(Z), the meaning of which was unknown until now. Here a direct real-space interpretation ofG(Z) through the particle scattering density and pair correlation function is given. One-dimensional and two-dimensional SESANS are compared. The case of non-interacting particles is considered in detail with an explicit geometrical interpretation. General methods for the calculation of structural parameters, such as the total scattering length and the radius of gyration, are developed. Analytical expressions ofG(Z) for non-interacting solid spheres, hollow spheres and Gaussian coils are derived. The case of solid spheres is compared with experimental data.

The structure of hard‐sphere colloidal suspensions is measured at different concentrations using the recently developed spin‐echo small‐angle neutron scattering (SESANS) technique. It is shown that SESANS measures real‐space correlations ranging from the size of a single particle for a dilute suspension to several particle diameters for a concentrated suspension, glass and crystalline state.

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A new method to measure spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering using π-flipping magnetised foils has been realised. This method makes it possible to measure in real space structural feature up to length scales of 2.5 µm. Measurements on concentrated colloidal systems reveal directly the evidence for short-range ordering.