Discussion on data correction for Polarization Analysis with a 3He spin filter analyzer

Fully polarized neutron reflectometry and grazing incidence small angle neutron scattering are effective methods to explore magnetic structures on the nm to μm length scales. This paper is an outline of how to fully correct for the polarization analysis (PA) inefficiencies of such an instrument and to determine the error contributions of the neutron polarizer and analyzer. This discussion considers the exact case of the polarization analysis instrumentation used on the MARIA neutron reflectometer at the MLZ or for a general polarized neutron scattering instrument using at least one 3He neutron spin filter that has the capability for adiabatic fast passage nuclear magnetic resonance flipping of the 3He polarization. This paper will work to build a conceptual understanding of how the inefficiencies of neutron polarization elements affect measured data in order to stress and encourage the application of PA corrections and to help perform successful measurements. Then, using data from a fully polarized neutron reflectometer test measurement we show how it is possible to recover signals on the order of, or even smaller than, the inefficiencies, or bleed-through, of the neutron polarization devices used.