Polarised Neutron Reflectivity investigation of Fe+ ion irradiated Fe-Cr epitaxial film for fusion energy applications

The understanding of the neutron irradiation effects on Fe-Cr steels is of paramount importance for the development of radiation resistance materials for fusion energy applications. The damage induced in the material by fusion neutrons can be imitated employing self-ion irradiation. Previous PNR experiments of Fe+ ion irradiation of Fe-10at%Cr polycrystalline films, at RT and at 300 C, have shown an increase of the magnetic moment of the Fe-Cr matrix which was attributed to the Cr depletion of the Fe-Cr matrix and experimentally confirmed by Atom Probe Tomography and STEM-EDX spectroscopy. In order to examine the effect of the grain boundaries and the role of Cr content on the magnetic effects and correlate these with the induced defect structure, PNR experiments are proposed on Fe-Cr epitaxial films (Cr content of 0, 10 and 20 at%) irradiated at RT and 300 C by Fe+ ions at various doses.