ANBUG Town Hall Events: Magnetic Neutron Scattering

The first 2024 lecture will be on the topic of magnetic neutron scattering. We are pleased to invite A/Prof. Clemens Ulrich from UNSW to deliver two lectures on this topic, covering the introduction to magnetism, magnetic diffraction and excitations, as well as polarized neutron scattering techniques.
Abstract
Since neutrons carry their own magnetic moment, they are ideal for the investigation of magnetic properties of materials. For example, the precise spin structure can be determined by neutron diffraction. This encompasses not only the type of the magnetic order, i.e., ferro-, antiferromagnetic or even more complicated spin structures, but also the magnitude of the magnetic moments of every ion, and the particular direction of each spin. Using inelastic neutron scattering magnetic excitations, e.g. magnon dispersions or spin gaps can be determined. A main challenge is to distinguish between nuclear (crystallographic) and magnetic neutron scattering. Therefore, polarized neutron scattering is an ideal technique since it allows to determine the spin state of the excitation directly. This presentation will explain the core concepts of solid state magnetism, magnetic neutron scattering and polarized neutron scattering.