The neutron is the only probe capable of seeing both the nuclei of atoms and at the same time the magnetic interactions of their electrons. It owes this ability in part to its spin, a tiny compass that reacts to any magnetic field it encounters.
Neutron polarisation techniques allow neutron spin to be oriented according to the needs of an experiment. By orienting the spin of a beam of neutrons in a single direction for example, the density of samples can be measured - by checking how many neutrons have had their spin reversed on their passage through them.
Areas of application
Exotic magnetic behaviour
Field-sensitive switches
Molecular magnet
Nanoelectronics
High-temperature superconductors
Magnetic recording devices
Magnetic thin films for novel electronics
Planetary magnetism
Giant magnetoresistance
Nano-sized magnetic films and multilayers have huge commercial potential because they are used in a wide variety of applications including magnetic media, recording heads, magnetic random access memory and so on. However they have complex characteristics: neutrons offer the best way to see inside them.
More...
How Mars lost its magnetism
For centuries, magnetic materials have been familiar objects to mankind: they are everywhere in everyday life. But magnetic systems exist on all scales: elementary particles such as neutrons act like tiny magnets; planets such as our Earth, Jupiter, Saturn and (a long time ago) Mars have powerful magnetic dynamos in their cores.
More...
Animal magnetism
Polarised neutrons have the potential to reveal the magnetic side of proteins.
More...
Magnetism and superconductivity
The neutron is the only probe capable of seeing both the nuclei of atoms and at the same time the magnetic interactions of their electrons. It owes this ability in part to its spin, a tiny compass that reacts to any magnetic field it encounters. This makes them an ideal probe to study magnetic materials for information storage, new high-temperature superconducting ceramics and many more.
More...
The selection of highlights hereafter - extracted from the ILL scientific brochures - give a flavour of what can be achieved with neutrons in the field.
