Multiple scattering camouflaged as magnetic stripes in single crystals of superconducting (La,Sr)₂CuO₄

Neutron diffraction has been a very prominent tool to investigate high-temperature superconductors, in particular through the discovery of an incommensurate magnetic signal known as stripes. We here report the findings of a neutron diffraction experiment on the superconductor (La,Sr)2CuO4, where a spurious signal appeared to be magnetic stripes. The signal strength was found to be strongly dependent on the neutron energy, peaking at E = 4.6 meV. We therefore attribute the origin of this signal to be a combination of multiple scattering and crystal twinning. A forward calculation of the scattering intensity including these two effects almost completely recovers our experimental observations. We emphasize the need for employing such analysis when searching for ways to avoid spurious scattering signals.