High-resolution neutron depolarization microscopy of the ferromagnetic transitions in Ni₃Al and HgCr₂Se₄ under...

We performed neutron imaging of ferromagnetic transitions in Ni₃Al and HgCr₂Se₄ crystals. These neutron depolarization measurements revealed bulk magnetic inhomogeneities in the ferromagnetic transition temperature with spatial resolution of about 100 microm. To obtain such spatial resolution, we employed a novel neutron microscope equipped with Wolter mirrors as a neutron image-forming lens and a focusing neutron guide as a neutron condenser lens. The images of Ni₃Al show that the sample does not homogeneously go through the ferromagnetic transition; the improved resolution allowed us to identify a distribution of small grains with slightly off-stoichiometric composition. Additionally, neutron depolarization imaging experiments on the chrome spinel, HgCr₂Se₄, under pressures up to 15 kbar highlight the advantages of the new technique especially for small samples or sample environments with restricted sample space. The improved spatial resolution enables one to observe domain formation in the sample while decreasing the acquisition time despite having a bulky pressure cell in the beam.