Developing x-ray scattering studies of magnetic materials

The purpose of this project is the study of magnetic properties of magnetic materials. It will exploit x-ray scattering methods to study both the itinerant and local moments in these systems. One of the objectives is to exploit the new capabilities available for high field spin-polarised Compton scattering experiments at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF): measurements will be possible in magnetic fields of up to 9 Tesla, increased from the previous maximum of 1T. This will vastly increase the range of problems that can be addressed using the technique. Firstly, it means metamagnetic systems can be studied where the transition is at a field greater than 1T, and secondly, it can greatly increase the measurement's sensitivity in many systems, since this is proportional to the square of the induced magnetic moment.Another important objective is the development of the methods used to interpret the experimental data. Presently, these data are compared with theoretical calculations. The proposed step forward is to use the experimental data inconjunction with the theory to tune the theoretical predictions subject to the constraints provided by the experimental results. This will enable us to learn much more about the theoretical calculations and the electronic properties underlying the observed experimental results.