Neutron Scattering and Its Application to Investigate Magnetic Thin Film Structures

Neutron scattering techniques, in particular polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR), small-angle scattering and diffraction, are very powerful tools for characterizing the magnetic structures of artificially layered films from the micron down to the atomic scale. PNR experiments are able to resolve the depth distribution of magnetic moments, neutron diffraction allows an experimental measurement of atomic ferro- or antiferromagnetic order and neutron small-angle / off-specular scattering probes magnetic domain states of films with thicknesses on the nanoscale. This paper will review the current state-of-the-art and present striking examples that illustrate the usefulness of neutron scattering in magnetic thin film research.