The Role of <sup>11</sup>B<sub>4</sub>C Interlayers in Enhancing Fe/Si Multilayer Performance for Polarized Neutron Mirrors
This study investigates the effects of incorporating 11B4C interlayers into Fe/Si multilayers, with a focus on interface quality, reflectivity, polarization, and magnetic properties for polarizing neutron optics. It is found that the introduction of 1–2 Å 11B4C interlayers significantly improves the interface sharpness, reducing interface width and preventing excessive Si diffusion into the Fe layers. X-ray reflectivity and polarized neutron reflectivity measurements show enhanced reflectivity and polarization, with a notable increase in polarization for 30 Å period multilayers. The inclusion of interlayers also helps prevent the formation of iron-silicides, improving both the magnetic properties and neutron optical performance. However, the impact of interlayers is less pronounced in thicker-period multilayers (100 Å), primarily due to the ratio between layer and interface widths. These results suggest that 11B4C interlayers offer a promising route for optimizing Fe/Si multilayer performance in polarizing neutron mirrors.
Authors
- Jens Birch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8469-5983)
- Daniel Primetzhofer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5815-3742)
- Anton Zubayer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5327-609X)
- Philipp M. Wolf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3555-5503)
- Christine Klauser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5266-4488)
- Per Eklund (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1785-0864)
- Justinas Pališaitis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3203-7935)
- Artur Glavic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4951-235X)
- Gyula Nagy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3172-5736)
- Jochen Stahn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6711-0592)
- Marcus Lorentzon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3428-5847)
- Eduardo Pitthan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1481-6604)
- Samira Dorri
- Fredrik Eriksson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2982-5914)
- Martin Falk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9229-0468)
- Radek Holeňák (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1250-5474)
- Gavin B. G. Stenning (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0710-8247)
- Naureen Ghafoor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5828-5796)
Institutions
- Linköping University (SE)
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (GB)
- Angstrom Designs (United States) (US)
- Thinfilm (Sweden) (SE)
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Journal of Physical Chemistry C
- Published
- 2025-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.5c00068
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.65
Funders
- Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Linköpings Universitet
- Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
- Paul Scherrer Institut
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Stiftelsen Lars Hiertas Minne
- Stiftelsen Längmanska Kulturfonden