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

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Main Authors: Adams, Michael P., Jefremovas, Elizabeth M., Michels, Andreas
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Adams, Michael P.
Jefremovas, Elizabeth M.
Michels, Andreas
author_facet Adams, Michael P.
Jefremovas, Elizabeth M.
Michels, Andreas
contents 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 four-fold anisotropy corresponding to coherent field-aligned magnetization, vertical and horizontal two-fold anisotropies associated with aligned and isotropically distributed vortex ensembles, and an isotropic ring-like condition separating the two two-fold 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.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_29830
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Angular anisotropy landscape of vortex ensembles in polarized small-angle neutron scattering
Adams, Michael P.
Jefremovas, Elizabeth M.
Michels, Andreas
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
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 four-fold anisotropy corresponding to coherent field-aligned magnetization, vertical and horizontal two-fold anisotropies associated with aligned and isotropically distributed vortex ensembles, and an isotropic ring-like condition separating the two two-fold 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.
title Angular anisotropy landscape of vortex ensembles in polarized small-angle neutron scattering
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.29830