Hyperfine interactions of muonium and hydrogen in silicon and diamond: Quantum chemical calculations

The electronic structure of a hydrogen-like atom located at interstitial sites of the silicon and diamond crystals is calculated by the intermediate neglect of differential overlap (INDO) method. Calculations of the electronic g- and hyperfine interaction tensors of the impurity atom are performed. The results obtained are compared with the experimental properties of both “anomalous” muonium and hydrogen centers. It is shown that the most likely model for these centers in silicon and diamond is that in which interstitial neutral hydrogen-like atom locates at the bond-center site.     

Lattice relaxation for normal muonium in diamond

The effects of symmetric lattice relaxation around the tetrahedral (T) and the hexagonal (H) interstitial sites are calculated for normal muonium (Mu) in diamond using the non-semiempirical method of Partial Retention of Diatomic Differential Overlap (PRDDO). We use clusters containing 3 and 4 host atom shells around the T and the H sites (C₂₀H₃₂ and C₃₀H₄₀). The only significant relaxations are the outward displacement of the 6 nearest neighbors (NN) to the H site and, when the muon is at the T site, the simultaneous outward displacement of the first and second NN to the T site. In the case of diamond, the effects of these relaxations on the energy profiles and spin densities are small.     

Preliminary calculations confirming that anomalous muonium in diamond and silicon is bond-centered interstitial muonium

The model of anomalous muonium as bond-centered interstitial muonium has been examined by approximate ab-initio Hartree-Fock calculations in diamond and silicon and found to be in excellent agreement with experiment.     

Observation of muonium in solid hydrogen

A small fraction (∼ 15%) of positive mouns stopped in condensed H₂ form muonium (Mu) atoms. We have observed the characteristic MSR precession signal of these Mu atoms and measured their relaxation as a function of temperature in pure parahydrogen as well as in natural (≃75% ortho) hydrogen. Our longitudinal field spin relaxation results show clear evidence for Mu diffusion. Work supported by NRC and NSERC.     

Atomic hydrogen and muonium in alkali halides

Atomic hydrogen can be trapped at interstitial and substitutional cation and anion sites in alkali halides. The geometrical structure of these defects was established by electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR). From the analysis of the ENDOR spectra also detailed information was obtained on the electronic structure. In this article the major experimental and theoretical results for atomic hydrogen in several alkali halides are briefly reviewed. Special emphasis is given to the isotope effects upon replacing hydrogen by deuterium. The nature of the dynamical hyperfine and superhyperfine interactions is discussed. Its magnitude to be expected for muonium is estimated. Recent results on muonium centres are discussed on the basis of the knowledge about the hydrogen centres.     

Diffusion and trapping of muonium on silica surfaces

The spin relaxation rate λ_Mu of muonium atoms on fine silica powder surfaces was measured as a function of temperature and of the surface concentration of hydroxyl groups. Results indicate two-dimensional diffusion, trapping and detrapping of the muonium atoms on the silica surface. At low temperatures λ_Mu decreases dramatically as the concentration of surface hydroxyls is reduced. A three-state model is used to extract the muonium adsorption energy and other physical parameters.     

Excited states of muonium in atomic hydrogen

Muonium formation in excited states in muon-hydrogen charge-exchange collision is investigated using a method developed in a previous paper. Differential cross-section results are found to resemble positronium formation cross-section results of positron—hydrogen charge-exchange problem. Forward differential and integrated cross-sections are computed for muon energy of 2 keV and higher. Total muonium formation cross-sections are computed using Jackson and Schiff scaling rules. Muonium formation cross-section results obtained from proton—hydrogen charge-exchange cross-section results, using velocity scaling are compared with the results of the present calculation     

Isotope effects in hydrogen and muonium exchange processes

Muonium and hydrogen exchange in collinear I + MuI, I + HI, H + MuH and H + H₂ reactions are studied by semiclassical techniques within the hyperspherical formalism. Bound states in IMuI, as an example of bond formation on repulsive surfaces, are also considered.     

Calculations of the hyperfine parameters of bond-centered muonium in diamond

The electronic structure of hydrogen and muonium at the bond-centered site in diamond is investigated using ab initio cluster calculations. Correlation effects are accounted for by a configuration interaction expansion and by the local density approximation in the density functional approach. The hyperfine and superhyperfine parameters for anomalous muonium are determined by averaging over the spread of the muon wave function. Good agreement with experimental hyperfine parameters is found.This work has partially been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.     

Vacancy associated model for anomalous muonium in diamond,silicon and germanium

Through first-principles investigations on a number of models for anomalous muonium in diamond using the Unrestricted Hartree-Fock Cluster procedure, it is demonstrated that a muonium trapped near a double-positively charged vacancy is the most viable model for this center. This model is shown to successfully explain all the observed features of the hyperfine tensors A^⇉ in diamond, silicon and germanium, namely, oblateness, opposite signs of A_│ and A_┼ in diamond and same signs for silicon and germanium, the trend in the strengths of the hyperfine tensors from diamond to germanium and the negative sign for A_┼ in diamond.     

Hyperfine interactions of muonium and hydrogen in semiconductors: Cluster calculations

The electronic structure of muonium (Mu) located at different interstitial sites of the silicon crystal is calculated by the complete neglect of differential overlap (CNDO) and intermediate neglect of differential overlap (INDO) methods. Calculations of the electronicg- and hyperfine interaction tensors of the impurity atom are performed. The results obtained are compared with the experimental properties of both “normal” (Mu′) and “anomalous” (Mu^*) muonium centers. It is shown that the most likely dynamic model for Mu′ is that in which neutral Mu diffuses rapidly in the silicon lattice, whereas for Mu^* it is the model wherein interstitial Mu is located at the bond-center site. A correlation is made between the characteristics of the hydrogen-bearing Si-AA9 center, recently observed by EPR in a silicon crystal, and those of Mu^*. The Si-AA9 center is shown to be a hydrogen-bearing paramagnetic analogue of the Mu^* center.     

Electronic structure of hydrogen and muonium in Al,Mg and Cu

The electronic structure of hydrogen and muonium in simple metals is investigated. The spherical solid model potential is used for the discrete lattice and the Blatt correction for lattice dilation. The proton and muon are kept at the octahedral sites in the fcc and hcp lattices and self-consistent non-linear screening calculations are carried out. The scattering phase shifts, electronic charge density, effective impurity potential, self-energy, charge transfer, residual resistivity and Knight shift are calculated. The spherical solid potential changes the scattering character of impurity. The phase shifts are found slowly converging. The scattering is more prominent in Al than in Mg and Cu. The virtual bound states of proton and muon are favoured in all the three metals. The calculated value of residual resistivity for CuH is in good agreement with the experimental value. The results for Knight shift forμ ⁺ in Cu and Mg are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values while those forμ ⁺ in Al are lower than the experimental value. The analytical expressions for effective impurity potential and electronic charge density are suggested.