The apparatus for multioptional reflectometry (AMOR) at SINQ/PSI is a versatile reflectometer operational in the time-of-flight (TOF) mode (in a wavelength range of 0.15 nm < λ < 1.3 nm) as well as in the monochromatic (θ- 2θ) mode with both polarized and unpolarized neutrons. AMOR is designed to perform reflectometry measurements in horizontal sample-plane geometry which allows studying both solid-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces. A pulsed cold neutron beam from the end position of the neutron guide is produced by a dual-chopper system (side-by-side) having two windows at 180‡ and rotatable with a maximum frequency of 200 Hz. In the TOF mode, the chopper frequency, width of the gating window and the chopper-detector distance can be selected independently providing a wide range of q-resolution (Δq/q = 1–10%). Remanent FeCoV/Ti:N supermirrors are used as polarizer/analyzer with a polarization efficiency of ∼97%. For the monochromatic wavelength mode, a Ni/Ti multilayer is used as a monochromator, giving ∼50% reflectivity at a wavelength of 0.47 nm. In the present work, a detailed description of the instrument and setting-up of the polarization option is described. Results from some of the recent studies with polarized neutrons and measurements on liquid surfaces are presented.

Grazing incidence neutron reflectometry provides an opportunity to measure the depth profile of a thin film sample with a resolution <1 nm, in a non-destructive way. In this way the diffusion across the interfaces can also be measured. In addition, neutrons have contrast among the isotopes, making it feasible to measure the self-diffusion. In the present work, the isotope multilayers of [FeN/⁵⁷ FeN]₁₀ and [FeN/Fe¹⁵N]₁₀ were prepared using magnetron sputtering and self-diffusion of Fe and N was investigated. It was found that N diffusion is slower compared to Fe and does not follow the atomic size dependence.

Thin films of permalloy (Ni₈₀Fe₂₀) were prepared using an Ar+N₂ mixture with magnetron sputtering technique at ambient temperature. The film prepared with only Ar gas shows reflections corresponding to the permalloy phase in X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. The addition of nitrogen during sputtering results in broadening of the peaks in XRD pattern, which finally leads to an amorphous phase. The $M-H$ loop for the sample prepared with only Ar gas is matching well with the values obtained for the permalloy. For the samples prepared with increased nitrogen partial pressure the magnetic moment decreased rapidly and the values of coercivity increased. The polarized neutron reflectivity measurements (PNR) were performed in the sample prepared with only Ar gas and with nitrogen partial pressure of 5 and 10%. It was found that the spin-up and spin-down reflectivities show exactly similar reflectivity for the sample prepared with Ar gas alone, while PNR measurements on 5 and 10% sample show splitting in the spin-up and spin-down reflectivity.