Polarised neutron reflectivity from U/Fe, U/Gd multilayers

U/Fe and U/Gd multilayers constitute magnetic systems, which can be used to probe the hybridisation of the 5f electrons of uranium with 3d and 4f electrons, respectively. A range of samples with varying layer thicknesses was prepared by DC sputtering in a UHV chamber. X-ray and neutron reflectivity and X-ray diffraction were used to characterise the structure of the U/Fe [A.M. Beesley, M.F. Thomas, A.D.F. Herring, R.C.C. Ward, M.R. Wells, S. Langridge, S.D. Brown, S.W. Zochowski, L. Bouchenoire, W.G. Stirling, G.H. Lander, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 16 (2004) 8491] and U/Gd systems. A combination of polarised neutron reflectivity, SQUID magnetometry and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism have revealed an induced moment on the U site in U/Fe structures and a saturation magnetisation which increases with increasing Fe and Gd thickness.