Abstract
Neutron reflectometry experiments infer the variation of the scattering length density of a smooth planar film as a function of depth averaged over the lateral dimensions of the sample from the intensity of a neutron beam reflected by the sample. Because the phase information of the neutron wave function is not preserved by an intensity measurement, most analyses rely on comparisons of data to predictions from models. Such comparisons do not provide unique solutions and can yield erroneous conclusions. A real-world example is provided. We show that in some limited cases, measurements of a sample immersed in the vapor and liquid phases of Helium may improve model selection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 29-40 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Neutron Research |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023 - IOS Press. All rights reserved.
Funding
We acknowledge valuable discussions with Dr. P. Balakrishnan (NIST). This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This work was supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2020YFA0309100) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11974390). Preparation of polymer samples was supported by the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS), which is a US Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | |
| Office of Science | |
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory | |
| National Natural Science Foundation of China | 11974390 |
| National Key Research and Development Program of China | 2020YFA0309100 |
Keywords
- Neutron reflectometry
- data analysis