Microscopic state of the positive muon in 2H-NbSe2

The microscopic state of the positive muon in the transition metal dichalcogenide 2H-NbSe₂ was studied using the muon spin relaxation method (μ⁺SR). We found that the μ⁺SR spectra consist of two components. The ratio of the two components and the dynamics of the muon change at 140 K, at the charge-density-wave transition temperature (32 K), and again at the superconducting transition temperature (7 K). We discuss the relation between conduction electron properties and the muon's behavior. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Scanning near-field cathodoluminescence microscopy of an Si+ implanted and thermally annealed SiO2 layer

A scanning near-field cathodoluminescence microscope (SNCLM) is successfully used to image the cathodoluminescence of an Si⁺ implanted and thermally annealed submicronic SiO₂ layer. Owing to the subwavelength resolution of the system a “cross-sectional” cathodoluminescence image was obtained. The intensity image profile shows that sample luminescence results from the whole SiO₂ layer confirming a preceding electroluminescence study. Sample luminescence is attributed to point defects generated into the whole SiO₂ layer during Si⁺ ion implantation and thermal annealing.     

Evidence for muon neutrino oscillation in an accelerator-based experiment

We present results for nu(mu) oscillation in the KEK to Kamioka (K2K) long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. K2K uses an accelerator-produced nu(mu) beam with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV directed at the Super-Kamiokande detector. We observed the energy-dependent disappearance of nu(mu), which we presume have oscillated to nu(tau). The probability that we would observe these results if there is no neutrino oscillation is 0.0050% (4.0 sigma).     

Quantum diffusion of the positive muon in the superconducting state of Al

We report low temperature studies of muon diffusion and trapping in Al doped with Li impurities. The trapping rate at Li and the deduced muon diffusion rate increase more rapidly with decreasing temperature in the superconducting state compared with the normal state. The temperature dependence of the quantum diffusion rate in the superconducting state is close to that predicted by the Kondo theory.     

Formation of defects in the oxide layer of ion-irradiated Si/SiO2 structures

Electroluminescence and high-frequency voltage-capacitance methods are used to study Si/SiO₂ structures obtained by thermal oxidation of KéF-5 (100)Si wafers at 950°C in wet oxygen (oxide thickness 250 nm). The structures are irradiated by 130-keV argon ions with doses in the range of 10¹³−3.2×10¹⁷ cm⁻². A correlation between the origin, properties, and formation mechanism of implantation-induced defects in the oxide layer is established, and a model of defect formation is proposed.     

Optical excitation and emission processes of Si-QD/SiO2 multilayer films with different SiO2 layer thicknesses

Si-rich oxide/SiO₂ multilayer films with different SiO₂ layer thicknesses have been deposited by the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique, and crystallized Si quantum dot (Si-QD)/SiO₂ multilayer films are obtained after annealing at 1100 ^°C. The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of the multilayer films increases significantly with increasing SiO₂ layer thickness, and the PL peak shifts from 1.25 eV to 1.34 eV. The PL excitation spectra indicate that the maximal PL excitation intensity is located at 4.1 eV, and an excitation–transfer mechanism exists in the excitation processes. The PL decay time for a certain wavelength is a constant when the SiO₂ thickness is larger than 2 nm, and a slow PL decay process is obtained when the SiO₂ layer is 1 nm. In addition, the PL peak shifts toward high energy with decreasing temperature only when the SiO₂ layer is thick enough. Detailed analyses show that the mechanism of PL changes from the quantum confinement effect to interface defects with decreasing SiO₂ layer thickness.     

Longitudinal field quenching studies in KCl and KBr — Evidence for a precursor muonium state

The repolarization of μ⁺ in a longitudinal field as a function of field strength has been measured at various temperatures in KCl and KBr single crystals. The data at room temperature in KCl are essentially in agreement with Ivanteret al. /1/ and Nishiyamaet al. /5/. The obtained quenching curves can be reasonably fitted by assuming that the long lived muonium state, seen directly in transverse field experiments by Kieflet al. /4/, is preceded by another short lived muonium state with reduced hf-coupling. It is also necessary to allow for electron spin exchange in the precursor state. The model fits yield the hyperfine frequency of the precursor state, its chemical lifetime and an electron spin flip rate. It is speculated that the precursor state and the temperature dependence of the fitted parameters reflect the early history of the μ⁺ in its terminal spur.     

Investigation of expected location of muonium in normal state in III–V semiconductors and associated muon hyperfine interaction

The location and hyperfine properties of muonium in AlP is investigated by the unrestricted Hartree-Fock cluster procedure. Two minima are found, one at the aluminium tetrahedral interstitial site, and the other at the corresponding phosphorus site. The former is deeper by 0.25 eV and separated from the other minimum by a steep maximum of 0.63 eV in the hexagonal region. Using the calculated electronic wave functions, the muon hyperfine constant, after vibrational averaging, comes out smaller than the value for free muonium, the ratio being 0.93. This value is, however, significantly higher than the experimental results in GaP and GaAs.Briefly reported in Abstract at American Physical Society meeting in New Orleans, March 1988, see Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 33 (1988) 1364.     

Studies of the positive muon behavior in solid H2 and D2

Using a pulsed muon beam, we have investigated the microscopic μ⁺ behavior in solid H₂ and D₂ down to 0.6 K by the μ⁺SR method. From the studies of μ⁺ spin relaxation phenomena in solid para‐ H₂ and ortho‐ D₂, we have found that μ⁺ forms three distinct microscopic states; H₂μ⁺( D₂μ⁺)(20\sim25\%), muonium (15\sim20\%) and μ⁺(\sim60\%). In H₂μ⁺, the μ⁺ spin is depolarized in solid para‐ H₂ and a local magnetic field B_loc=1\sim2 G is deduced from LF‐μ⁺SR measurements. The magnitude of B_loc is inconsistent with the magnetic dipolar field (\sim25 G) expected from the magnetic moments of two protons in the H₂μ⁺ molecule and suggests that the H₂μ⁺ molecule might be in the rotationally excited state. From LF‐μ⁺SR measurements, muonium and μ⁺ have been found to diffuse in solid o‐ D_2. The diffusion rate of muonium is two order of magnitude larger than that of μ⁺. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

SiO2and Si nanoscale patterning with an atomic force microscope

The use of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as a nanolithographic tool is demonstrated. A photoresist layer several nanometre thin isindented by the vibrating AFM tip, where software control switches the tapping force from the imaging to the patterning mode. The resist pattern is transferred into a 10 nm SiO₂layer on Si(100) by wet chemical etching resulting in 20–40 nm wide lines. Subsequent transfer into the Si substrate using anisotropic KOH etching formed 60 nm wide V grooves.     

Simulation of range profiles for boron implantation into SiO2/Si and Si3N4/SiO2/Si targets

The simple method of profile combination is shown to be applicable to the simulation of boron profiles in SiO₂/Si and Si₃N₄/Si layered targets. This is demonstrated by comparison with range distributions calculated by more sophisticated theoretical methods, i.e. TRIM Monte Carlo simulations and the algorithm of Christel et al., and with experimental data. The method of profile combination can also be applied to layered targets with a crystalline silicon substrate.     

Study of the positive muon Knight shift in : Evidence for a tetravalent -state and crystalline electric field splitting

We report on transverse field (TF) Muon Spin Rotation (μSR) measurements on a single crystal of the hexagonal heavy fermion superconductor UNi₂Al₃ between 5 K and 300 K. From the measured muon Knight shift (KS) in the easy ( a , b )-plane and along the c-axis we extracted the local magnetic susceptibility tensor [0pt] , which arises from the nearest U-neighbors. By comparison with the bulk susceptibility [0pt] it is found that [0pt] and [0pt] agree well above 150 K but deviate considerably in the basal plane below 150 K, due to the disturbance introduced by the . We succeed in reproducing both [0pt] and [0pt] on the basis of a crystalline electric field (CEF)-approach assuming U to be in the tetravalent state. The disturbance introduced by the affects the CEF-Hamiltonian in an expected manner, suggesting strongly that a CEF-picture implying a rather local 5 f-electron wave function is indeed valid. Reanalyzing older data on UPd₂Al₃ we arrive at the same conclusion. A necessary condition for extracting the local susceptibility was the knowledge of the -site, this information was derived from the analysis of the TF-relaxation rates. At low temperatures we found about 30% of the implanted at the d-site and none at this site above 200 K. The majority fraction was found to be in a tunneling state over six m (or k)-sites around the b-site. No long range diffusion was seen up to room temperature. Received 20 April 1999     

Evidence for an increasing 59 s period in the X-ray emission from Geminga

Summary Einstein Observatory and EXOSAT X-ray data from 1E0630+178 reveal a ∼50% periodic emission at ≳59s. This confirms the early SAS-II and COS-B findings on 2CG 195+04 atE>50 MeV and provides the temporal signature for the identification of Geminga. The observations, spanning over a decade (1973–1983), also suggest a very high positive which has become still higher in 1979–1983. The X-ray data used for this work have been collected in part during the Einstein Observatory Guest Observer Program and in part from the EXOSAT mission.     

(Si,Er)双注入热氧化硅的光致发光

采用强流金属蒸汽真空弧（MEVVA）离子源注入机，先将Si大束流注入热氧化SiO2/单晶硅，直接形成镶嵌在SiO2中的纳米晶Si，再小束流注入Er。Er离子在掺杂层中的浓度可达10^21cm^-3量级，大大地提高了作为孤立发光中心的Er^3 浓度。在77K和室温下，观察到了Er^3 的1.54цm特征发射。