Reflective, polarizing, and magnetically soft amorphous neutron optics with 11 B-enriched B 4 C

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0402
• Publication Date: 2024-02-14T18:58:58Z
• Authors: Anton Zubayer; Naureen Ghafoor; Kristbjörg Anna T...; Sjoerd Stendahl; Artur Glavic; Jochen Stahn; Gyula Nagy; Grzegorz Greczynski; Matthias Schwartz...; Arnaud Le Febvrier; Per Eklund; Jens Birch; Fridrik Magnus; Fredrik Eriksson
• Keywords: Subatomär fysik; Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics; Subatomic Physics; 500; Atom- och molekylfysik och optik; Physical and Materials Sciences; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/500

The utilization of polarized neutrons is of great importance in scientific disciplines spanning materials science, physics, biology, and chemistry. However, state-of-the-art multilayer polarizing neutron optics have limitations, particularly low specular reflectivity and polarization at higher scattering vectors/angles, and the requirement of high external magnetic fields to saturate the polarizer magnetization. Here, we show that, by incorporating 11 B 4 C into Fe/Si multilayers, amorphization and smooth interfaces can be achieved, yielding higher neutron reflectivity, less diffuse scattering, and higher polarization. Magnetic coercivity is eliminated, and magnetic saturation can be reached at low external fields (>2 militesla). This approach offers prospects for substantial improvement in polarizing neutron optics with nonintrusive positioning of the polarizer, enhanced flux, increased data accuracy, and further polarizing/analyzing methods at neutron scattering facilities.