Synchrotron Mössbauer Reflectometry in Materials Science

57Fe nuclear resonant scattering experiments are reported on iron-containing thin films using 14.41 keV synchrotron radiation at angles of grazing incidence around and slightly above the critical angle of the electronic total reflection. In partially oxidised α–Fe films of 20 nm original thickness various oxide and oxihydroxide phases are identified at different depth. In a [Fe/FeSi]10multilayer grown on Zerodur®substrate the Fe—Fe interlayer coupling varies with the distance from the substrate. The antiferromagnetic order of the top layers of this multilayer can be suppressed by external magnetic field. These examples demonstrate the efficiency of synchrotron Mossbauer reflectometry (SMR),…