Abstract
Neutron reflectivity allows to characterize surfaces and interfaces of ultra-thin film layered systems down to a nanometric scale (∼2nm). It is a powerful tool for the study of magnetic and polymer thin film structures. The neutron magnetic interaction is of the same order as the nuclear interaction and makes polarised neutron reflectivity a very sensitive tool for probing magnetic multilayers. It allows the determination of magnetic ordering and coupling in artificial magnetic multilayers (either metallic/semi-conducting or oxides). Examples of studies in the field of giant magneto resistive (GMR) sensors used in hard drive and tape read heads are given. The search for efficient spin-injection materials which could be used in spin electronics is also a growing field of activity. Several material candidates are presently evaluated. Recent studies on such materials are presented: oxide materials (Fe2O3–Fe3O4) epitaxial thin films; multilayer systems involving semiconducting materials ((Fe/Si)n–(GaMnAs/GaAs)). Besides the high sensitivity of neutrons to magnetism, the possibility of isotopic labelling (H/D substitution) offers a way to probe polymer and protein thin film structures with great details: polymer interdiffusion or polymer grafting can be studied at the substrate–polymer or liquid–polymer interfaces. A model study of polymer grafting is presented.
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