Neutron Scattering in Nanomagnetism
Abstract Polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) has played an essential role for the exploration of nanomagnetic and spintronic materials, including exchange coupled magnetic superlattices, exchange bias systems between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic films, spin valves, exchange springs between soft and hard magnetic films, superconducting proximity effects, periodic lateral magnetic patterns, and magnetic nanoparticles. The main virtues of PNR are depth-resolved vector magnetometry in the film plane, high sensitivity to magnetic interfaces, and statistical analysis of magnetic domain fluctuations. Recently the capabilities of PNR have been carried over from steady state to dynamic inve…
Polarized neutron reflectivity from monolayers of self-assembled magnetic nanoparticles
We prepared monolayers of iron oxide nanoparticles via self-assembly on a bare silicon wafer and on a vanadium film sputter deposited onto a plane sapphire substrate. The magnetic configuration of nanoparticles in such a dense assembly was investigated by polarized neutron reflectivity. A theoretical model fit shows that the magnetic moments of nanoparticles form quasi domain-like configurations at remanence. This is attributed to the dipolar coupling amongst the nanoparticles.