Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
Measurement and modeling of polarized specular neutron reflectivity in large magnetic fields
Brian B Maranville1, Brian J Kirby1, Alexander J Grutter1
1NIST Center for Neutron Research, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA.
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.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes
NMR Spectrometers: Resolution and Error Correction
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Magnetic Moment
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution
Potential Due to a Magnetized Object
The vector...

