2022 Volume 32 Issue 3 Pages 120-123
We have introduced polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR) techniques, polarization analysis and magnetic contrast variation neutron reflectivity (MCV-NR), for structural analysis of soft material samples. We performed polarization analysis on an Si/SiO2/polypropylene (PP) sample and MCV-NR analysis on a deuterated polystyrene (PS-d)/Fe3O4 sample to investigate their fine structures. Fitting analysis results of the NR data with polarization analysis indicated that the bulk PP plate penetrated into the SiO2 layer due to the sandwiching of the silicon-substrate and PP. On the other hand, the MCV-NR analysis reveals the surface roughness value of the PS-d/Fe3O4 sample to be 2.2 Å. The structural analysis using the NR with the polarization analysis and MCV-NR enables the investigation of fine structures of soft material samples, and the results lead to a better understanding of the nano-layers and surface structures of soft materials.
