Neutron methods for the direct determination of the magnetic induction in thick films

We review different neutron methods which allow extracting directly the value of the magnetic induction in thick films: Larmor precession, Zeeman spatial beam-splitting and neutron spin resonance. Resulting parameters obtained by the neutron methods and standard magnetometry technique are presented and compared. The possibilities and specificities of the neutron methods are discussed

Neutron resonances in planar waveguides

Results of experimental investigations of a neutron resonances width in planar waveguides using the time-of-flight reflectometer REMUR of the IBR-2 pulsed reactor are reported and comparison with theoretical calculations is presented. The intensity of the neutron microbeam emitted from the waveguide edge was registered as a function of the neutron wavelength and the incident beam angular divergence. The possible applications of this method for the investigations of layered nanostructures are discussed

Wannier functions and exchange integrals: The example of LiCu2_{2}O2_{2}

Starting from a single band Hubbard model in the Wannier function basis, we revisit the problem of the ligand contribution to exchange and derive explicit formulae for the exchange integrals in metal oxide compounds in terms of atomic parameters that can be calculated with constrained LDA and LDA+U. The analysis is applied to the investigation of the isotropic exchange interactions of LiCu$_{2}$O$_{2}$, a compound where the Cu-O-Cu angle of the dominant exchange path is close to 90$^{\circ}$. Our results show that the magnetic moments are localized in Wannier orbitals which have strong contribution from oxygen atomic orbitals, leading to exchange integrals that considerably differ from the estimates based on kinetic exchange only. Using LSDA+U approach, we also perform a direct {\it ab-initio} determination of the exchange integrals LiCu$_{2}$O$_{2}$. The results agree well with those obtained from the Wannier function approach, a clear indication that this modelization captures the essential physics of exchange. A comparison with experimental results is also included, with the conclusion that a very precise determination of the Wannier function is crucial to reach quantitative estimates.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Polarized neutron channeling as a tool for the investigations of weakly magnetic thin films

We present and apply a new method to measure directly weak magnetization in thin films. The polarization of a neutron beam channeling through a thin film structure is measured after exiting the structure edge as a microbeam. We have applied the method to a tri-layer thin film structure acting as a planar waveguide for polarized neutrons. The middle guiding layer is a rare earth based ferrimagnetic material TbCo5 with a low magnetization of about 20 mT. We demonstrate that the channeling method is more sensitive than the specular neutron reflection method

Condensation of Silica Nanoparticles on a Phospholipid Membrane

The structure of the transient layer at the interface between air and the aqueous solution of silica nanoparticles with the size distribution of particles that has been determined from small-angle scattering has been studied by the X-ray reflectometry method. The reconstructed depth profile of the polarizability of the substance indicates the presence of a structure consisting of several layers of nanoparticles with the thickness that is more than twice as large as the thickness of the previously described structure. The adsorption of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine molecules at the hydrosol/air interface is accompanied by the condensation of anion silica nanoparticles at the interface. This phenomenon can be qualitatively explained by the formation of the positive surface potential due to the penetration and accumulation of Na+ cations in the phospholipid membrane.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

First principle computation of stripes in cuprates

We present a first principle computation of vertical stripes in $La_{15/8}Sr_{1/8}CuO_4$ within the LDA+U method. We find that Cu centered stripes are unstable toward O centered stripes. The metallic core of the stripe is quite wide and shows reduced magnetic moments with suppressed antiferromagnetic (AF) interactions. The system can be pictured as alternating metallic and AF two-leg ladders the latter with strong AF interaction and a large spin gap. The Fermi surface shows warping due to interstripe hybridization. The periodicity and amplitude of the warping is in good agreement with angle resolved photoemission experiment. We discuss the connection with low-energy theories of the cuprates.Comment: 5 pages,4 figure