Neutrons and magnetism

Abstract

Neutron scattering is a unique technique in magnetism, since it measures directly the Fourier transform of the time-dependent magnetic pair correlations. The neutron interacts only weakly with matter, so that each neutron normally only scatters once in the sample volume. The dynamic pair correlation functions are thus probed in the whole volume of the sample. Here we summarize the relevant formalism and approximations for neutron scattering on magnetic materials, focusing on the investigation of single crystals. The lecture aims to stimulate – not to replace – the study of the relevant literature [1–9].