Pinpointing chiral structures with front-back polarized neutron reflectometry

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Feb 11;88(6):067201. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.067201. Epub 2002 Jan 25.

Abstract

A new development in spin-polarized neutron reflectometry enables us to more fully characterize the nucleation and growth of buried domain walls in layered magnetic materials. We applied this technique to a thin-film exchange-spring magnet. After first measuring the reflectivity with the neutrons striking the front, we measure with the neutrons striking the back. Simultaneous fits are sensitive to the presence of spiral spin structures. The technique reveals previously unresolved features of field-dependent domain walls in exchange-spring systems and has sufficient generality to apply to a variety of magnetic systems.