Spinteract: a program to refine magnetic interactions to diffuse scattering data

Magnetic diffuse scattering-the broad magnetic scattering features observed in neutron-diffraction data above a material's magnetic ordering temperature-provides a rich source of information about the material's magnetic Hamiltonian. However, this information has often remained under-utilised due to a lack of available computer software that can fit values of magnetic interaction parameters to such data. Here, an open-source computer program, Spinteract, is presented, which enables straightforward refinement of magnetic interaction parameters to powder and single-crystal magnetic diffuse scattering data. The theory and implementation of this approach are summarised. Examples are presented of refinements to published experimental diffuse-scattering data sets for the canonical antiferromagnet MnO and the highly-frustrated classical spin liquid Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂. Guidelines for data collection and refinement are outlined, and possible developments of the approach are discussed.