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Angular anisotropy landscape of vortex ensembles in polarized small-angle neutron scattering

Michael P. Adams1,2,*, Elizabeth M. Jefremovas3,4, and Andreas Michels3

  • *Contact author: michael.adams@mpsd.mpg.de
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023328 – Published 23 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1sl5-s875

Abstract

We present a symmetry-resolved classification of two-dimensional spin-flip small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) patterns arising from dilute ensembles of spherical nanoparticles hosting magnetic vortex states. Based on a linear vortex ansatz with an axially symmetric distribution of vortex axes and the corresponding analytical expression for the orientationally averaged spin-flip SANS cross section, we show that the angular scattering patterns organize into four distinct symmetry regimes: a fourfold anisotropy corresponding to coherent field-aligned magnetization, vertical and horizontal twofold anisotropies associated with aligned and isotropically distributed vortex ensembles, and an isotropic ringlike condition separating the two twofold regimes. The corresponding symmetry boundaries are obtained analytically and define a compact symmetry landscape in the parameter space of vortex amplitude and vortex-axis distribution width. Comparison with a nonlinear vortex profile shows that these symmetry regions are robust with respect to the detailed radial structure of the vortex core. The angular anisotropies are therefore governed primarily by rotational symmetry and by the statistical distribution of vortex axes, providing a compact and model-transparent classification framework of experimental polarized SANS data.

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References (24)

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023328– Published 23 June, 2026
  • Received 1 April 2026
  • Accepted 9 June 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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