Fundamentals of specular neutron reflectometry

An introduction to the methodology of neutron reflectometry is given in which the fundamental aspects regarding the actual performance of specular reflection measurements and subsequent analysis of the data are described. The application of this technique to the determination of interfacial structure or composition in thin film and multilayer materials of interest in the fields of magnetism, superconductivity, polymer science, electrochemistry, and biology is illustrated by specific examples. The microscopic information provided by neutron reflectivity which complements that obtained by other probes is emphasized, in particular information which is obtainable because of the inherent isotopic (most notably in the case of hydrogenous materials) or magnetic moment (both magnitude and orientation) sensitivity of the neutron