Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 October 2009
Application of μSR to studies of the intrinsic properties of condensed matter
The applications of muon spin rotation/relaxation/resonance (μSR) to condensed-matter studies can be roughly categorized into two types:
The probing of microscopic magnetic properties of the target material which are essentially unchanged by the muon's presence. In this case, the most important features of the experiment are the muon's capability to measure magnetic properties under zero external field, its unique response to spin dynamics, its sensitive detection of weak and/or random microscopic magnetic fields, and so forth. We may call this type of μSR “passive” probe.
The creation of a new microscopic condensed-matter system in the target material by the introduction of μ+, Mu, or μ−, and the study of the unique microscopic response of the material. Here, representative central topics are the presence or localization of the μ+ at the interstitial sites and its diffusion properties, electronic properties around μ+/Mu, the chemical reactions undergone by the hydrogen-like Mu center in semiconductors, transport phenomena of the electron brought in and probed by the μ+ in conducting polymers and biomolecules, and so forth. We may call this type of μSR “active” probe.
Activity in the field of μSR applications in condensed-matter studies has been increasing since the late 1970s, in parallel with the progress of intense proton accelerator facilities (known as meson factories) such as Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF), Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), and Tri-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF).
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