title: Measurement and modeling of polarized specular neutron reflectivity in large magnetic fields.
abstract: The presence of a large applied magnetic field removes the degeneracy of the vacuum energy states for spin-up and spin-down neutrons. For polarized neutron reflectometry, this must be included in the reference potential energy of the Schrödinger equation that is used to calculate the expected scattering from a magnetic layered structure. For samples with magnetization that is purely parallel or antiparallel to the applied field which defines the quantization axis, there is no mixing of the spin states (no spin-flip scattering) and so this additional potential is constant throughout the scattering region. When there is non-collinear magnetization in the sample, however, there will be significant scattering from one spin state into the other, and the reference potentials will differ between the incoming and outgoing wavefunctions, changing the angle and intensities of the scattering. The theory of the scattering and recommended experimental practices for this type of measurement are presented, as well as an example measurement.
authors: NIST Center for Neutron Research, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
authors: Brian B
authors: BB
authors: Maranville
authors: NIST Center for Neutron Research, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
authors: Brian J
authors: BJ
authors: Kirby
authors: NIST Center for Neutron Research, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
authors: Alexander J
authors: AJ
authors: Grutter
authors: NIST Center for Neutron Research, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
authors: Paul A
authors: PA
authors: Kienzle
authors: NIST Center for Neutron Research, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
authors: Charles F
authors: CF
authors: Majkrzak
authors: Quantum Condensed Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
authors: Yaohua
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: NIST Material Measurement Laboratory, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
authors: Cindi L
authors: CL
authors: Dennis
keywords: Zeeman corrections; applied magnetic fields; non-collinear magnetization; polarized neutron reflectometry