Guasco, L.; Khaydukov, Y.N.; Pütter, S.; Silvi, L.; Paulin, M.A.; Keller, T.; Keimer, B.: Resonant neutron reflectometry for hydrogen detection. Nature Communications 13 (2022), p. 1486/1-8
10.1038/s41467-022-29092-z
Open Access Version
Abstract:
The detection and quantification of hydrogen is becoming increasingly important in research on electronic materials and devices, following the identification of the hydrogen content as a potent control parameter for the electronic properties. However, establishing quantitative correlations between the hydrogen content and the physical properties of solids remains a formidable challenge. Here we report neutron reflectometry experiments on 50 nm thick niobium films during hydrogen loading, and show that the momentum-space position of a prominent waveguide resonance allows tracking of the absolute hydrogen content with an accuracy of about one atomic percent on a timescale of less than a minute. Resonance-enhanced neutron reflectometry thus allows fast, direct, and non-destructive measurements of the hydrogen concentration in thin-film structures, with sensitivity high enough for real-time in-situ studies.