Using Muons to Investigate Hydrogen Defects in BeO

Muons Spin Research (MuSR) experiments utilize 100% spin polarized muons as a noninvasive probe to characterize materials and study phenomena within them. When implanted in a material the particle (similar to a proton) forms muonium (Mu) and is sensitive to the local electronic and magnetic environment. When implanted in semiconductors, in addition to probing properties of the host such as carrier dynamics, Mu can be used as an experimentally accessible analogue to isolated hydrogen impurities/defects revealing information such as bonding configurations, mobility and charge cycle dynamics; all of which are essential for efficiently and effectively developing materials for practical applications.

 

Over the past 20+ years, muon scientists have studied muonium in beryllium oxide (BeO) as a way to understand the characteristics of isolated hydrogen in BeO as it can affect properties such as conductivity. Nearly the full suite of MuSR measurements has been conducted on BeO, including our recent RF-MuSR measurements, and this ensemble of measurements can be used together to characterize the Mu (H) impurity in BeO. This talk will present a recap of the long-standing project, including results from our RF-MuSR experiments carried out in September 2024.