Polarized neutron scattering research: the beginning

The visionary idea of using neutron scattering for the study of magnetic phenomena in condensed matter was proposed by Bloch in 1936, mere 4 years after the neutron was discovered. It was based on one of the surprises the neutron presented the scientific community with: it is neutral, yet it has a magnetic moment, which latter was then not yet directly observed though. Although the first results proved to be mathematically wrong, due to a non-trivial ambiguity of classical electromagnetism theory, which could only be settled by neutron beam experiments 15 years later, the recognition lead to the advent of a most productive area of modern research, which culminated in the development of the powerful and sophisticated techniques of polarized neutron scattering. This recollection traces the early milestones of the development of the field in strong interaction between theory and experiment.