Investigation of the chiral structure of the Y/Dy multilayer system by the method of the small-angle scattering of polarized neutrons

The magnetic spiral structure of a Y/Dy sample has been investigated for temperatures from 30 to 190 K by the method of the small-angle scattering of polarized neutrons. The sample is a sequence of layers Y_50nm [Dy_4.3nm /Y_2.8nm ]₃₅₀/Y_234nm /Nd_200nm Al₂O₃ (substrate) that is grown as a single crystal with the [001] axis of the hexagonal lattice, which is perpendicular to the layer plane. The experiments demonstrate the appearance of the magnetic peak below T _N = 165.4 K, which is associated with the helicoidal phase, and the helicoid coherence length is larger than the layer thickness of the Y/Dy layer. The use of polarized neutrons allows the separation of the polarization-independent and polarization-independent components of magnetic scattering. The polarization-independent component of the magnetic neutron cross section is proportional to magnetization squared 〈S _Z 〉², whereas the polarization-dependent component is proportional to the average chirality of the system 〈C〉 = 〈[·S ₁ × S ₂]〉. The critical exponents β_C = 1.02(1) and β = 0.39(1) have been determined for the average chirality and magnetization, respectively. The magnetization critical exponent β for Dy/Y coincides with the exponent obtained for Dy bulk samples. The difference β_C ? 2β = 0.24(2) shows that the chirality can be a component of the order parameter that is independent of magnetization. This experiment corroborates the results that were obtained for the critical chirality in Ho and were reported in Phys. Rev. B 64, 100402(R) (2001).     

Angular correlations in ternary fission induced by polarized neutrons

Ternary fission induced by cold polarized neutrons was studied for the two isotopes ²³³U and ²³⁵U at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France. In particular two types of angular correlations between the spin of the incoming neutrons and the emission directions of both, the fission fragments (FF) and the ternary particles (TP), were investigated. For FF and TP detectors facing the target at right angles to the neutron beam, first, for longitudinally polarized neutrons a triple correlation between spin and the emission of outgoing particles was explored and, second, for transversally polarized neutrons parity violating asymmetries in the emission of FFs and TPs were analyzed. Nonzero expectation values for the triple correlation were oberserved in the present experiments for the first time.     

Hyperfine fields at nonmagnetic impurities in ferromagnetic GdZn and GdCd

Hyperfine fields at sp impurities in ferromagnetic CsCl type compounds GdZn and GdCd have been measured by NMR method. The impurity hyperfine fields are always negative, indicating the negative polarization of s-like conduction electrons at impurities on the Zn(Cd) sites, and are smaller at the beginning and end of each sp series. This trend of the hyperfine fields is similar to that in Gd metal and is qualitatively understood by the Daniel-Friedel mechanism.     

Magnetic small-angle scattering of neutrons in amorphous ferromagnets

In amorphous Fe₄₀Ni₄₀C₁₄P₆ alloys the field dependence of the magnetic scattering cross section and the analysis of the scattering profile indicate the presence of stress centres corresponding to quasidislocation dipoles.     

Effect of double nuclear scattering on nuclear-magnetic interference in experiment with small-angle diffraction of polarized neutrons

An experiment on small-angle polarized-neutron diffraction by a two-dimensional spatially ordered array of nickel nanowires embedded in a porous anodic alumina matrix is discussed. The contributions of nonmagnetic (nuclear) structures and nuclear magnetic interference indicating the correlation between magnetic and nuclear structures are discussed. Magnetic scattering is two orders of magnitude smaller than nuclear scattering and, hence, turns out to be weakly distinguishable. The ordered magnetic composite nanostructure of a sample leads to strong interaction between the neutron wave and the structure itself, which, in turn, implies a twofold (miltiple scattering) nuclear scattering process. Nuclear magnetic interference scattering must be analyzed allowing for twofold scattering conditions, which substantially distorts the intensity distribution of the interference contribution of first-order diffraction peaks.     

Characterization of porous materials by small-angle scattering

Characterization of porous materials by small-angle scattering has been extensively pursued for several years now as the pores are often of mesoscopic size and compatible with the length scale accessible by the technique using both neutrons and X-rays as probing radiation. With the availability of ultra small-angle scattering instruments, one can investigate porous materials in the sub-micron length scale. Because of the increased accessible length scale vis-a-vis the multiple scattering effect, conventional data analysis procedures based on single scattering approximation quite often fail. The limitation of conventional data analysis procedures is also pronounced in the case of thick samples and long wavelength of the probing radiation. Effect of multiple scattering is manifested by broadening the scattering profile. Sample thickness for some technologically important materials is often significantly high, as the experimental samples have to replicate all its essential properties in the bulk material. Larger wavelength of the probing radiation is used in some cases to access large length scale and also to minimize the effect of double Bragg reflections.     

Study of multiple small-angle neutron scattering by the warren method

A procedure for studying multiple small-angle neutron scattering using a double-crystal spectrometer is presented. It is based on measuring the linear coefficient of beam attenuation caused by smallangle scattering. The method has been substantiated theoretically, and the range of its applicability has been determined.     

Static and time dependent fields at nonmagnetic impurities in ferromagnetic samples

Several techniques are used for the measurement of hf-interactions. One of them, the PAC-method, gives the value of the effective field acting on a decaying nucleus, assuming a static force. Using the Master Equation, this paper shows if that there exists in addition a strong fluctuating field, the angular correlation is wiped out.     

Interparticle interference of neutrons in multiple small-angle scattering by a close-packed polydisperse system

Small-angle multiple neutron scattering by a disordered polydisperse system with various concentrations of scattering centers is studied experimentally and theoretically. The experiments show that, for high concentrations (specific volume of scatterers ≥30%), interparticle interference of neutron waves plays a significant role and strongly affects the angular distribution of scattered neutrons. The experimental results are qualitatively explained within the framework of the theory allowing for pair correlations in the spatial distribution of scatterers.     

Hyperfine interaction in amorphous ferromagnetic cobalt-phosphorous-alloys measured by inelastic scattering of neutrons

The hyperfine interaction at the cobalt nucleus in amorphous ferromagnetic cobalt-phosphorous-alloys CoP _x has been investigated by measuring the inelastic incoherent spin-flip scattering of neutrons. A neutron spectrometer of an extremely high energy resolution of 67 MHz full width at half maximum (FWHM) was used. It was found that the magnetic hyperfine splitting, in first order, is proportional to the magnetic moment of the cobalt atom and that there is a distribution of hyperfine fields of about 50 MHz around a mean value which depends on the phosphorous concentration.

     

Investigation of three-particle spin correlations during critical scattering of polarized neutrons from a nickel single crystal

The critical small-angle scattering of polarized neutrons from spin fluctuations in a nickel single crystal with a special inclined geometry of the magnetic field has been studied. The method of inclined geometry makes it possible to investigate not only two-particle spin correlations but also three-particle spin correlations that determine the polarization-dependent contribution to scattering, which is asymmetric with respect to the momentum transfer q. This contribution depends on the momentum transfer q as 1/(q ² + ξ^?2)^5/2, where f is the neutron scattering correlation length; it linearly increases with an increase in the magnetic field H in the low-field range and then reaches saturation. The results obtained are in good agreement with the similarity theory.     

Study of spin-wave dynamics in Fe65Ni35 ferromagnetic via small-angle polarized-neutron scattering

The results of studying the spin dynamics of a classical Fe₆₅Ni₃₅ invar alloy are presented and analyzed. The investigations are performed via small-angle polarized-neutron scattering in the oblique geometry of a magnetic field at various temperatures (T < T _C). This approach is based on the analysis of left-right asymmetry in the magnetic scattering of polarized neutrons. The asymmetry effect arises when the magnetization direction of a sample is inclined with respect to the wave vector of the incident beam. The spin-wave scattering is concentrated within a range bounded by the cutoff angle θ_c determined by the magnetic field: θ _c ² (H) = θ ₀ ² ?(gμ_B H)θ₀/E, where \(\theta _0 = \hbar ^2 \frac{1} {{2Dm_n }}\) , H is the external magnetic field, E is the initial neutron energy, D is the spin-wave stiffness constant, and m _n is the neutron mass. The scattering is blurred by spinwave damping in the vicinity of the cutoff angle. The spin-wave stiffness constant can be obtained from a comparison of the asymmetric contribution to scattering and a model function. The temperature dependence D = D(T) is well defined by the expression D = D ₀ |τ| ^x , where \(\tau = 1 - \frac{T} {{T_C }}\) , x = 0.47 ± 0.01, D ₀ = 137 ± 3 meVŲ, and τ > 0.1 in the entire temperature range. The given method enables us to construct the temperature dependence of the spin-wave stiffness constant with a high accuracy and a small step.     

Search for scission neutrons using specific angular correlations in 235U fission induced by slow polarized neutrons

The experimental data concerning scission (or prescission) neutrons are very contradictory—the relative part of these neutrons in the prompt fission neutrons varies from 1 to 35% owing to arbitrary assumptions made in different analyses. To solve this problem, we have used a new alternative method to search for the scission neutrons. We have found the left-right asymmetry of prompt-fission-neutron (PFN) emission caused by sp-wave interference in the entrance channel of the reaction and the P-odd asymmetry of the PFN emission caused by parity nonconservation at the exit channel of the fission process. Both effects cannot reside in PFN evaporated by excited fission fragments. The scission (or prescission) neutrons are responsible for these effects. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Structural analysis of composite metal-insulator materials by small-angle x-ray scattering

A small-angle x-ray scattering study of the structure of Cu: SiO₂ composite films obtained by magnetron cosputtering is reported. The experimental spectra are analyzed by direct numerical simulation of scattering from a polydisperse system of spherical particles with a high volume concentration. The calculated scattering spectra were found to fit well to the experiment if a log-normal particle distribution in size is assumed, and the parameters of this distribution were determined.     

The electrical resistivity of mixed valence materials due to nonmagnetic impurities

We have studied the influence of nonmagnetic impurities on the electrical resistivity of a mixed valent host. The model we consider is the periodic Anderson model where we change the energy parameters at the sites occupied by the randomly distributed impurities. The propagator of the pure system has been obtained by a decoupling scheme [1]. We use the CPA to perform the impurity average for the one-particle Green's function and Kubo's formula to calculate the electrical conductivity. Numerical analysis shows that the resistivity decreases monotonously with increasing temperature. This is in contrast to experimental results [2, 3] and possible reasons for the incorrect low-temperature behaviour are discussed.Dedicated to B. Mühlschlegel on the occasion of his 60th birthdayAddress after October 1985: Imperial College, Department of Physics, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ, UK     

Determination of lattice distortions around impurities by the polarized neutron method

Diffuse scattering measurements on a Pd-1 at.% Gd alloy are used to illustrate the polarized neutron method for the study of static lattice distortions in dilute alloys. The observed displacements are in semi-quantitative agreement with theoretical values.     

Investigation of the closed porosity of functional ceramic materials by spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering

The closed porous structure in ceramic materials is investigated by spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering. A series of ceramic samples of oxygen–ion conductors based on bismuth molybdate with the general formula Bi_12.8 X _0.2Mo₅O_{34 ± δ} (X = Mg, Ba, Ca, Sr) is obtained by powder sintering for 6?45 h at a temperature close to the melting point. The samples are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence analysis. It is found that they had a stoichiometric chemical composition, are singlephase, and contain clean pores between crystal grains. The pore size is determined by spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering and ranges from 2.2 to 3.5 μm. It is demonstrated that longer sintering times correspond to larger pores (the increase in their average diameter is as large as 30%). It is found that the studied materials lack a fractal pore structure.